Confessions of a Frustrated Perfectionist
by BabbleBaby
Summary: A large overbearing family, a cheating boyfriend, and a best friend who thinks getting laid is the answer to everything. Will Haley's life take a turn after spilling her secrets to a stranger in a bar, and where does her new boss fit into things?
1. Chapter 1

**Title:Confessions of a Frustrated Perfectionist**

**Rating:** T - may go up to M later on.

**Summary:**A large overbearing family, a cheating boyfriend, and a best friend who thinks getting laid is the answer to everything. Will Haley's life take a turn for the better, or the worse after spilling her secrets to a stranger in a bar, and where does her new boss fit into things?

**Author's Notes:**I got the idea for this while reading the book. "Can You Keep a Secret" by Sophia Kinsella. For anyone who's read the book you'll probably be able to see where the idea was born from but this isn't a naley rewrite of the book, I guess you could just say the book was my inspiration. Although this story is a multi-parter I promise it won't be too long. It will be pretty much completely a fluff story because my other WIP – **Reflections of Things That Never Were **is so damn angsty at the moment a girl needs a break now and then! For any of you who are reading that story I've half to two thirds of the next update finished so I hope to get it up in the next couple of days - Real life permitting. (Don't fear it not getting finished – that story niggles at me constantly, I want to write it as much as any of you want to read it! Lol)

I hope you all like this story, it's supposed to be fun, funny, and an easy enjoyable read and I hope it comes off that way – Please let me know what you think. Big thank you to **Lori** (lorilozz) for beta-ing and all her help, and Kristen too!

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"Haley.. Dear." Resisting the urge to roll her eyes Haley turned to her grandmother who gave her a sympathetic smile and reached up to hug her. "I'm so so sorry to hear about you and Jake."

Sorry. Everyone was so damn sorry. So they broke up. What was the big deal? Yes, okay, maybe they'd been together since she was 18, and yes – maybe - at some point she had thought she was in love with him. But she wasn't even sure she had been, and she definitely wasn't last week when he'd told her that he didn't want to do this but they'd been drifting, and there was this woman from work… Bastard.

"Thanks Grammie." She tried to smile sincerely with a suitable amount of heartbreak in her expression as she pulled away from the older woman. She'd tried to tell everyone she was fine. Happy even. They'd all told her to stop putting on a brave face, and sympathised about how hard it must be to have to leave her beautiful apartment in the ritzy part of town and move into a dingy two bed on the other side of the river with a room mate. Jake made twice what she did and there was no way she would have been able to afford their place on her own - not that she would have wanted to. She'd never felt comfortable in their plush apartment. Always feeling like she was staying over, never feeling like it was her home. At Brooke's she didn't get self conscious singing show tunes at the top of her lungs in the shower in the mornings, or have to worry about the house looking like a show home on the off chance Jake brought a business associate back. If she wanted to she could sit around in her pyjamas all day eating cookie dough ice cream right from the carton and blow her nose loudly as she sobbed over some cheesey teen movie. In fact her best friend would likely be right there beside her fighting for the duvet and wedging her cold feet between Haley's legs which would be tucked up on the sofa between them.

"I'm sure he'll realise what a mistake he's made and come back to you sweetheart, just give him time. Men aren't like us, they need change, but you're a good girl Haley, he'll be back. Just hang in there."

Oh My God. Looking around the garden she tried to find a suitable reason to leave her grandmother alone, but really, if one more person told her to hang in there, or how Jake would realise what a good thing he had, or really pretty much anything positive about her ex boyfriend she would scream. Where was Brooke when she needed to hear how she was too good for him? How if he came back grovelling with diamonds and chocolates she should take the gifts, shut the door in his face, and sleep with his brother. Not that she'd ever do that, well she might take the chocolates, but she'd never sleep with Eric, and diamonds are really expensive.

She scanned her surrounds again in search of her friend's brunette head but couldn't see her amongst the masses. It wasn't often her, her siblings, and their families were all in one place, but her parents had finally settled down from the RV trip they'd taken when she'd graduated High School five years ago and they'd thrown themselves a welcome home party. Not that Tree.. whatever this town was called.. was home exactly, but Welcome Back to North Carolina didn't have quite the same ring to it. Haley was just happy that now if she wanted she just had to jump into her car to see them instead of checking their blog – yes her parents had a blog – to find out where the next stop on their itinerary was before booking a plane ticket.

"Auntie Haley." Quickly turning when she sensed the child's grubby fingers reaching out toward the hem of her knee length white sundress she grabbed the little girls hand in her own before it could dirty the material. Maybe white linen wasn't the best thing to wear to a party full of children, but the dress had looked so good, and it had fitted perfectly. Making her look thin, but not too thin so that people would think she spent all her time wallowing in her bedroom sobbing and refusing to eat. It was practically the opposite actually, she'd gained 3lbs since her and Jake had broken up last month and most of it appeared to have gone to her boobs. Ha! Take that office-bitch! Plus the tags were easily hidden so she could take it back after she'd worn it. She'd never done that before herself but she'd seen Brooke do it a million times, and now she was living on one income – one lowly miniscule income – she had to be creative.

"What is it sweetie?"

"Daddy said.."

"What did your daddy say Kayla.." Sensing that she probably wouldn't be too happy with what she was about to hear, especially if it came from her teasing elder brothers lips Haley breathed in deeply trying to calm herself down. Okay so she had said she'd scream if anyone else mentioned Jake but she didn't want to be responsible for damaging the little girls hearing – she had a lot of life ahead of her!

"Daddy said that we have to be nice to you because you and Uncle Jake don't live together anymore." Damnit. Uncle Jake. That was the one thing that being here today brought home for her. Maybe she was okay with this break up, but they'd been together so long they'd become ingrained in each others lives. Her family had taken him in as one of their own, and she loved most of his. Did all that go away now? She'd never had a real break up before. She'd never had a real relationship before him. Could she still go to his cousin's school play that she'd brought tickets to last time they'd visited? She already had the time off work, and Amanda had been so excited to have the lead..

"You don't have to be any nicer to me than you want to be Kay, okay?"

Cocking her head to the side the little girl studied her aunt for a minute, as if, like her elder relatives, she too was searching Haley's face for any sign of anguish.

"Okay." Nodding her brunette curls the girl seemed satisfied and began to walk back over to where the other children were playing. Turning Haley felt a guilty relief when she saw her grandmother was no longer there.

"I don't think you're supposed to be serving the food at your own party Mom." She laughed taking the tray of food off of her mother and placing it down on the table.

"I'm perfectly capable of serving some nibbles Bub, now come here and talk to your Momma. How are you baby?" The familiar head tilt was present again as mother looked to daughter with an endearing smile.

"Mooom." Shaking her head at Lydia's outstretched arms Haley sighed. "I'm fine. God, if I'd known it was going to be like this all day I would have just said Jake couldn't make it because of work or he was sick and emailed you about the break up."

"Oh sweetie, you don't have to act so brave. He was your first serious boyfriend. You kids had a good thing going. You know when you rang and said you had news about Jake I thought.."

"That I was going to tell you I was engaged? Yeah Taylor told me, she also said you were going to make this a joint celebration. That's really sweet Mom, but I was never going to marry him."

"You can't lie to me Haley. I'm your Mom, I know you. You were head over heels for that boy."

"God. No. Mother. I really wasn't!" Throwing her hands up in exasperation Haley turned to walk away. She probably should have just pretended to be heartbroken, as she'd done with everyone else but she was just tired of it. Everyone was acting like losing Jake was end of her world. Hell, they were acting like it was the end of their world!

"Haley! I know you're upset but you can't speak to Mom like that!" Her eldest sister followed after her, her two year old sons head bobbing erratically with her steps.

"What about how she spoke to me?" The shorter girl whispered back harshly, mindful of the fact that they were surrounded by family and friends. "You're all acting like I can't think for myself!"

"Well you just went through something very traumatic sweetie." Shaking her head Haley went to defend herself but decided against it. They wouldn't listen. They never did. Everyone in this family was so sure they knew Haley better than the next. Better than herself. It seemed like no matter how old they got get all the James children together and they'd reverted back to the ages they were when they were last all living at home. Unfortunately that meant they acted like Haley was four and needed guidance on how to cross the street. Just this morning Josh had grabbed Haley's hand along with his 10 year old daughters as they crossed the road to go and buy some more streamers. He'd apologised right away and they'd both laughed it off, but right now the memory fuelled her annoyance.

"You know Bub, if you need to talk I'm here. I remember when I broke up with Billy Sullivan…"

"You dated Billy Sullivan when you were 15!!"

"15 or 19 it doesn't matter Haley, first love is first love."

"You dated Billy Sullivan when you were 15 for 2months!" She was starting to feel really patronised.

"For someone who's not supposed to be upset Haley you're getting quite wound up."

"I'm going to look for Brooke." Turning quickly Haley let out a sharp gasp as she felt something cold and sticky hit her stomach and a child bump up against her. "Please let it be water." She mumbled to herself looking down and seeing a purple stain growing across her white stomach, the colour seeping into the material.

"Sowwy Hawey." Looking down at her nephews trembling lip and watery eyes Haley felt her own start to fill.

"It's okay Mikey. Don't worry about it." She patted his head hugging him quickly before heading back into the house mumbling to herself. "Don't worry about my $250 non-returnable dress I guess I just won't eat this month."

Walking up the stairs she headed toward the room her parents had told her and Brooke to stay in that night. It had all the furniture from her room back at the old house, and she really was looking forward to a night curled up in her old bed. Maybe she could have a nap now, if she slept long enough maybe something more interesting than the demise of her and Jake's relationship would happen and everyone would find something else to talk about. Worst case scenario she'd escape the looks for an hour or two. Closing in on the door her forehead creased at the strange giggle like sound she could hear coming from inside. Timidly she creaked the door open and couldn't stop the loud half gasp, half scream that escaped.

There on her bed, on her childhood bed, was her brother, shirtless, and her best friend, also shirtless straddling him. "OH MY GOD!! BROOKE!"

"Tutor Girl, I.."

"Hales – shut the door." Steven piped up, seemingly undeterred by his baby sister walking in on him under her best friend. Her best friend who up until an hour ago he'd never met before despite Brooke spending many a summer or holiday with whichever branch of the James family Haley was tagging onto.

"Oh my god." Frozen Haley stood unable to move, her stomach becoming stickier by the second. "oh my god."

"Can you stop saying that Hal… Your dress!"

"Oh My God."

"HALEY! YOUR DRESS! YOU CAN'T RETURN IT LOOKING LIKE THAT!" The pretty brunette clambered off the reluctant man and walked over to her friend who seemed to snap out of her trance just as Brooke reached her.

"I don't care about my dress, what the hell are you doing with my brother! You told me you were going to come here and support me and instead you're screwing my brother!!" Haley felt a pang of regret at the hurt look that crossed her best friends face. She hadn't meant for her words to come out so harsh, so selfish, but she was in shock. It wasn't every day you walked in on your best friend and brother going at it on the same bed you'd hung your Christmas stocking from. If it had been Taylor she wouldn't have been so surprised. Hell it could have been Taylor and Brooke and she still wouldn't have been this shocked, but she'd always thought her and Steven had a certain kinship in their madcap family, and messing around with her best friend while she fended off the rest of the clan down stairs kind of went against that! "I came in here for a change of clothes but I guess I'll just leave you two to it."

"Haley?" She had reached the bottom of the stairs and was almost out of the front door when she heard a voice call her name from the den.

"Tony, is that you?" Stepping into the room the door shut behind her and she glanced around nervously. Whoever it was seemed to be hiding in the shadows but the only person who'd have an accent remotely close to that was her sister Quinn's fiancée. Perpetual fiancée. They'd been engaged over two years now and Tony seemed reluctant to even think about setting a possible date. Her mother had once told her that she thought Haley'd get married before Quinn did. Although apparently her mother had been certain she was marrying Jake anytime now so maybe that didn't say too much.

"Are you okay?" She knew he was meant to come across as sympathetic but there was something unnerving about the way he kept looking at her, and was he staring at her grape juice stain? Oh, nope, eyes were a little north of there. Ew.

"I'm fine, Tony, thank you for asking." She crossed her arms across her chest and looked around the small homely room. "Where's Quinn?"

"Out back, I was just nosing around the new house. Nice huh?"

"Yeah, I guess. I should be getting back outside. Are you coming?" She bounced nervously from one foot to the other. Surely what she thought was happening wasn't happening. No way..

"You know Haley, ever since you graduated college you've really come into your own. There's just something about you lately, Jake's an idiot for letting you go." She backed up against the door, he couldn't be for real. Could he?

"Um, thanks, I guess." She slipped her hand onto the door handle, desperate to get out of the room and back into a large open space, a large open space with lots of people.

"If you want to talk about it, the break up, I'd be more than happy to listen."

He was leering down at her now, his eyes boring into hers and she sucked in a deep breath, turning the door knob behind her back.

"Right well, thanks, I've uh, got to go. Tell Quinn I'll talk to her when I get back."

Quickly she left the room shaking her head in disbelief as she walked straight out the front door. Climbing into her car she sent a silent prayer of thanks that she'd offered to make a last minute run to the liquor store so her car wasn't blocked in. She didn't know this town, had no idea where she was going or how to get home but if she spent one more minute with those pitying looks she was going to lose her mind. As she turned onto what appeared to be the road into town she realised the only person all day who'd said Jake was the one losing out in their break up was Tony as he stared down her dress.

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Sitting at the bar of the bar-cum-club she'd happened upon driving around the town Haley signalled for the bar tender to bring her another drink.

"I.D.."

"Are you serious?" She asked looking wide eyed at the man in front of her. She'd been ID'd when she'd sat down at least an hour ago and this was her third or forth drink and she was getting ID'd again.

"Uh yeah.." The guy looked at her like she was crazy, peering intently at her eyes to check whether maybe he should cut her off.

Rolling her eyes Haley fumbled into her purse and handed over her drivers licence. "See – 23! – Give me my drink.." She bit her lip, instantly feeling bad for snapping at the bartender, it wasn't his fault she was single, and pathetic, and covered in grape juice. "um..please."

A low gruff laugh reverberated beside her. The man's shoulders shaking. "Polite."

"Excuse me?" Drawing her words out the young woman shot daggers at the man next to her.

"You're very polite."

"Yes, well, manners don't cost anything. You know what else is polite? Not butting into other people's conversations."

"Conversation? Unless you're talking to yourself I'm the only other person around here. Well, me and Mark, and after the way you reacted to him just doing his job right now I don't think he's going to be feeling very chatty."

"Whatever." She wasn't in the mood for this. Getting drunk alone wasn't usually her style, but if there was ever a time for it, it was today. She had hoped the anonymity she had in this town would allow her to do just that, but it seemed like Mr. Chatty had other ideas. Well he might as well make himself useful. "Do you come from a big family?"

"What?"

"Do you." She repeated, slowly annunciating each word "Come from a big family?"

Quirking an intrigued eyebrow at the woman next to him he took in her frazzled appearance, the white dress with the price tag hanging out at the side and a big purple stain over her stomach, her curly auburn hair piled haphazardly on top of her head. At first glance he'd of thought she'd be some blubbering mess, not the type to snark him back at all.

"No, just one brother."

"Well, lucky you." He laughed again as she profusely thanked the bartender when he placed her drink in front of her, apologising for her earlier tone. "You can stop laughing at me anytime you know."

"Well you'd just have to stop being funny then wouldn't you."

"Oh my god. Are you flirting with me? Don't even bother flirting with me. If I wasn't already off men, today sure as hell would have done that for me."

"Don't worry. I'm not flirting with you. No offence babe, but purple's not really your colour."

Looking down at the stain on her stomach that she was swore was growing Haley blushed, she'd almost forgotten about that, but now the day was coming back to her thick and fast.

"You know what I hate? I hate that everyone in my family calls me Bub. Yes, I'm the baby, I get it. I don't need to be reminded every time you talk to me! Wouldn't make any difference if I told them anyway they just hear what they want to hear. My boyfriend of five years breaks up with me, and you know what, take out the office skank he was screwing behind my back, and I'm actually pretty cool with it. I didn't love him, not that anyone believes me of course, because I'm Haley, and I do as is expected of me and if I'm living and sleeping with the same guy I dated in college then I must be in love with him. Well no, I wasn't in love with him, at least I don't think I was in love with him. God I hope I wasn't in love with him, if that's what love is I'm so screwed." She took a break taking half of her drink down in one gulp before turning back to the man beside her. "Hey, you're a man."

"Uh.. Yeah.."

"Why would you break up with a girl for some office slut and then beg her to still sleep with you. Apparently however long you've been in a relationship has some ratio to how long the break up sex should last."

"I've never heard that."

"Should have known. Well he can kiss goodbye to that! He was always selfish in bed, not me, oh no, I am damn good in bed thank you very much! But not Jakie, oh no! Do you know I'm 23 years old and I'm not even sure I've ever had an orgasm? I mean I thought I had but then I listen to my best friend and my sisters talk and I realise that I'm missing out on something. Do you know I didn't even know what a g-spot was until I borrowed one of the Brooke's cosmo's to read in the bath tub the other day?! Five years I was with him for! Four years of sleeping with him and listening to 'Oh yeah, Oh Haley, So good baby', and nothing! NOTHING for me! Selfish Prick!"

"Uh.."

"Men are scum, no offence, but they are! Today I'm pretty sure my sister's fiancée was coming onto me. I mean what do I do with that, do I tell her? Oh and then there's the fact that I walked in on my best friend and my brother half naked and writhing on my childhood bed! Taylor I expect that kind of thing from but Steven's supposed to be the good one! You know what else? I've always been jealous of my under achieving slutty sister. Not that I want to be under achieving and slutty, although maybe that's the way I to get that illusive orgasm,"

She stopped as if to ponder that thought for a moment, barely taking a breath before she carried on.

"But I can't help it! I hate her sometimes, and God I know I shouldn't and she's my sister and I love her, but I do, I hate how easy it all is for her! She doesn't care what my parents think about her. She doesn't lie and pretend to be upset about something because she's worried people will think she's weird for not being so, and if some stupid bitch in her office kept passing off her work as her own the whole place would damn well know about it instead of just signing her email up to spam sites in revenge! And she's always so free, no one expects anything from her and when she does something remotely positive people throw a freakin parade! I had the valedictorian title stolen from me in high school right at the last minute, and did I get a 'Congratulations on coming second in your class Haley?' No I did not! I got told not to let it get to me, and that seen as I wouldn't be giving a speech I wouldn't mind if my parents left a day early right? Well you know what? I did mind, and I minded when no one could understand why I wanted to study music, even though they all tell me they know me soooo well! I hate that my parents left before I'd even gone to college and I cried all night alone in the house with just Mr Waffles. Who, incidentally, if I'm ever alone at night still shares my bed with me, Mr Waffles, and cookie dough icecream...I have developed an addiction to everything cookie dough since Jake dumped me, it's not that I'm depressed, although lord knows people would understand it better if I was – it just tastes good, and Jake would get really funny about fattening foods. Well it doesn't matter because all the extra fat seems to be going to my boobs anyway. I guess that's it, my non-orgasming self, Mr Waffles, cookie dough icecream, and my stupid big boobs alone together forever. And yes, I know you can't be alone together…maybe I could get Brooke to join us too. She kissed me once, in college, and I didn't push her away right away, I mean I was in shock, but I don't know maybe I'd like it if I tried it... Okay so I probably wouldn't, I've never even done that stupid drunken kissing thing girls do to get guys attention, I don't think I'd like kissing a girl. I like men, I like how they're bigger, the only time I like that, cause I swear usually I hate being short! Maybe if I was a bit taller my legs wouldn't look kind of dumpy, I mean everyone tells me they don't look dumpy, but I think they're kind of dumpy, but no, what was I saying? Oh yeah - Men, I really do like men, and how they're stronger, and the way their bodies feel..."

He blinked a couple of times, unsure whether to laugh or check she hadn't ingested something. This girl was all over the place, one minute she's talking about her family, and job, and then her ex, and sex, and her boobs. He really wished she'd stop talking about her boobs because from this angle he could see down the v-neck of her dress and the more she talked about them, the more he looked. He was a bit worried she'd turn on him if she caught him and thought he was a pervert. She definitely seemed to have a man hating thing going on right now, well except for how she liked how they were bigger, stronger, and their bodies, he smirked as he went back to listening to her ramble.

"… and I love Brooke, but god she hated me when she first met me. Virgin little good girl Haley. I don't think she was a virgin when she started high school never mind college, and I'm pretty sure she slept with Jake before I starting dating him but even now I'm scared to ask. I mean what do I say 'Hey Brooke you know before we met did you hook up with Jake? Was he any good?' God imagine if he was, imagine if she had multiple orgasms and it went on for hours and the problem is me, and then she'd know! She'd know that I've been lying to her and making stuff up. She probably hates me now anyway. I didn't mean to be a bitch earlier, but I really didn't want to see that, and she's supposed to be with me on this stupid man-strike thing! Should have known she couldn't stick to it. That girl's too horny for her own good, and oh my god I'm going to have to worry about that now too aren't I?! I mean before I was with Jake I didn't really know what I was missing, and yeah okay so I didn't orgasm but the sex was always ya know, nice, and it felt good enough and now I'm not even going to have that. Shit." She stopped, sighed and rested her head in her hands. Her life kind of sucked right now and… Oh My God. It hit her quickly exactly what she'd just been saying to this guy she'd never met before in her life. The man sat next to her who, as she peaked through her slightly splayed fingers, she could see was chuckling quietly to himself, laughter shining in his blue eyes. His really pretty blue eyes. "Shit" She repeated again, fumbling in her purse for some money and stumbling off the high stool.

"Careful." Blue eyed man told her as he stood himself grabbing her as she swayed a little from the drinks.

"Thanks, I've, uh, I'm, uh, Sorry." She managed as she teetered across the floor of the club, her heels skidding a little as she tried to move faster than the alcohol in her system wanted to allow, listening to his low laugh following her as she pushed through the door. "Okay Haley, you're not allowed to talk anymore. Ever. To anyone." 


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all so much for your reviews! I'm really glad there seems to be a lot of interest in this story because I'm finding it really fun to write! **

**Big thank you to Lori for beta-ing me! You're the best girlie! **

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"Oh God, do that again!"

Groaning into her pillow Haley buried her head deeper into it and pulled another over her head. She loved living with Brooke, really she did, but she didn't love how thin the apartment walls were or her friend's nocturnal activities that trickled through regularly. Shuddering she turned to stare at the alarm clock next to her, bolting straight up when her bleary eyes focussed on the numbers she was reading. There was no way it was that late, she'd set an alarm, and Brooke was.. entertaining. Reaching over she picked up her cell phone and double checked the time. It was definitely 8am, and she was definitely running late.

Jumping out of bed she grabbed her things and headed for the bathroom, glaring at the wall when another low moan could be heard. It wasn't that she was jealous, really she wasn't, but who had sex at eight in the morning anyway, did her best friend have no self respect? Laughing sardonically at herself as she stepped into the shower Haley shook her head. Okay, maybe she was jealous, just a little bit.

Nursing a hangover late yesterday afternoon she'd sat in the passenger seat of her car as Brooke apologised the entire ride home for hooking up with her brother, swearing it hadn't gone any further after Haley had left. Accepting Brooke's apology distractedly, because with the way her stomach was turning and her head was pounding so loudly that she didn't care one way or the other if anything had happened, she had slipped on her sunglasses and tried to shake the feeling she'd done something she shouldn't have the night before. She'd woken up fully clothed in her own bed so she knew it couldn't have been anything that wrong, but there was still that looming feeling that in the time between finding the backstreet bar, and the next clear memory she has of tip toeing into the dark house and waking Brooke up to borrow money for the cab, that she'd done something she shouldn't have.

Wrapping a towel securely around herself she ran quickly across the hall to the small utility room where she'd sluggishly put her work clothes in the dryer before she'd crashed the previous evening. Of all the days for her alarm not to go off it had to be today. The office had been bustling on Friday with news of a new boss starting this morning, someone who apparently was closely connected with the owner of the company that the small literary magazine she worked on was a part of.

"Mornin'", Brooke yawned as she walked past, smiling over her shoulder. "Sleep well?"

"Hmmm." Haley answered, crouching down to open the dryer confused to find it empty. She had no desire to tell her friend that she would have slept well if it hadn't been for getting woken up every couple of hours because Brooke's mattress creaked loudly, or whoever she had in there didn't know how to keep his voice down. She really had to think about moving her bed away from the connecting wall. "Brooke?"

"Yeah.."

"Did you take my clothes out of the dryer?" The petite woman picked up a laundry basket in the hopes the black that lay beneath it was her skirts. Sighing in aggravation when she discovered it wasn't. This place was a mess, Brooke's clothes piled high left and right, she wondered if her friend even knew what was clean and what was dirty.

"Um, no." Brooke leant casually against the door frame watching as Haley moved frantically around, she was about to ask what all the rush was about when something caught her eye from across the room. "Oh, um, actually."

"Actually?" Haley asked cautiously, rather than being grateful that it appeared her friend had in fact taken her clothes out of the dryer something in Brooke's tone warned Haley that things weren't quite that simple.

"Well, You see, you crashed out more or less as soon as we got home, and I needed to wash some material for that dress I'm making for Maggie downstairs, and I figured your clothes had all night to dry and.."

"You're starting to sound like me, Brooke. You only do that when you've done something wrong. Tell me." Hands digging into her hips through the plush fluffy cotton of the towel she was wearing Haley fixed her friend with a hard stare.

"Well, I think I might have forgotten to put them back in." Pointing a perfectly manicured finger in the direction of a pile of clothes that lay haphazardly on the window sill Brooke flashed Haley a dazzling smile, signature dimples displayed proudly in hopes of charming her friend into not being mad. "Coffee?"

Cursing under her breath as her hands became damp when she picked up the clothes, confirming what she'd suspected when Brooke pointed them out Haley ran her hands threw her hair, cursing again when she realised that too was still soaking wet. "I, yeah, coffee. Lots of coffee."

Looking from the damp material in her hands to the dryer in front of her and then calling out to Brooke to check the time Haley knew there was no way the clothes would dry by the time she needed to leave for work. Momentarily she contemplated calling in sick, but knew she couldn't do it. She'd pulled one sicky in her whole life; freshman year of high school after she'd been out on a date with Paul Lewis, a junior on the football team. He'd tried to shove his hand up her skirt and got a knee in the crotch for his efforts. She was sure by the time Monday rolled around everyone would know about it, and think she was the weirdo Taylor had told her she was when Haley had told her what had happened after Paul had dropped her home, practically shoving her out of the door of his car. She'd spent the day in her room reading text books and doing extra credit work, and having nightmarish fantasies about what was being said about her at school. When no one mentioned anything to her about it that evening she decided it was safe to go into school the next day. He'd spent the rest of the year running in the other direction anytime he saw her, and when she thinks back on it now she realises he was probably too embarrassed about what he'd be called if his big jock friends found out a 100 pound freshman girl had beaten him up to mention anything about the previous evenings events.

Opening the dryer she nervously noticed how many of her skirts and pants she was holding and threw the clothes into it, slamming the door shut. Taking the coffee from Brooke's outstretched hand as she passed, Haley headed determinedly to her room. She didn't know why she was surprised; it was a big day at work, so of course things would go wrong. For the past few months everything was going wrong, and damnit if she wasn't at all used to it. She was a planner, a forward thinker, cautious and waking up late to a basket full of wet work clothes and a closet empty of anything else did not happen to people like that.

"Brooke, do you have anything I can wear to work?" She called out desperately, deftly pulling her hair up into a practiced bun spraying it with copious amounts of hairspray. No time to dry it, no time to straighten it, but the hole in the ozone layer would be worth it if her curls would just stay tamed - at least 'til lunch.

"These do?" Brooke asked proffering two black micro mini's in Haley's direction as she slumped down on the bed, completely unabashed as the men's t-shirt she was wearing crept even higher up her thighs than it already was.

Holding one, then the other up against herself as she looked in the mirror Haley shook her head. There was no way, no way in hell, she was wearing a skirt that short to work. Especially not when she had to meet her new boss. Part of the reason she'd taken the assistants job at this magazine, as opposed to the actual writing job she had been offered at the same time, was the fact that it was part of Scott Publishing, one of the biggest publishing houses in the country. They'd promised her plenty of opportunities for advancement and showing up on the day she meets her new boss, the boss who had supposed special connections with the owner of the company, in a skirt short enough that she'd worry it was showing her ass every time she moved, was really not the impression she wanted to make.

"Move out of the way." Brooke pushed past Haley, immediately able to tell she wouldn't be taken her up on the offer of a loaned skirt, and began riffling through the wardrobe throwing things out onto the floor, laughing when saw Haley wince at the mess she was making. "I'll tidy up."

"Leave it. You won't do it right." Haley answered, shaking her head as she started picking things up and folding them onto her desk chair, stopping herself when she realised what she was doing. She had to be at the office by 9, she had nothing to wear, and instead of trying to fix the problem she was folding clothes!

Cutting off Haley's internal rant at how much time she was wasting before it could begin Brooke spoke up. "What about this?"

Eyeing the black pinafore dress Brooke was holding Haley tried to work out where it had came from. She didn't remember buying it, and she knew she'd never worn it because she could see the price tag hanging from it. A $45 price tag so she knew it wasn't a recent wear and return purchase. Taking it from Brooke's hands she held it against herself. Ah, that was it. She'd bought it a couple of months ago with the intention of wearing it for work, only to come home and discover it was a couple of inches shorter than it looked making it no longer what she would deem office appropriate.

"It's short.." She trailed off. It was longer than what Brooke was offering, and she really should have left by now. Sighing she laid the dress down and riffled through her underwear draw slipping it on and dropping the towel before she tore a white blouse off the hanger. She'd learnt along time ago that being Brooke's friend and modesty didn't mesh well.

"I told you, you shouldn't have washed it all at once." The brunette spoke up from where she was now poking through Haley's drawers.

"Because you're really one to talk on that front. You'd rather buy something new than wash it." Looking in the mirror Haley tugged at the hem, it really was a lot shorter than she would have liked, and knew it would appear shorter still once she'd put on her heels. Why was it she'd never bought black flats again? Oh right, dumpy legs!

"Not always, I make things too." Brooke reminded her, handing Haley a pair of black tights. "Wear these – it'll make the dress seem longer, and your legs look great."

Laughing grateful to have a friend who knew her well enough to know just what to say Haley took the offered item, sitting down and pulling them on hastily. "Thank you, Tigger."

"No worries." A man's voice rang out in the apartment and Brooke turned to leave at the call of her name.

"Is that Carl?" Haley couldn't believe what she was seeing as she saw Brooke nod in the reflection of where she was applying the little make up she wore to work. "Brooke!"

"What?" The small cheeky smile that played on her friend's lips told Haley Brooke knew exactly why she was questioning her. Since Haley had moved in their building manager had found his way into her friend's bed on a number of occasions, never being there when Haley went to bed, but making his presence known in the morning. He was definitely cute enough, Haley couldn't fault that, but the man was as thick as two planks of wood.

"Oh don't look at me like that, Hales." Brooke continued rolling her eyes. She definitely needed to push a little harder on getting Haley back into the dating world, she was so naïve. Sometimes sex was just that, you didn't have to be able to have a conversation with the man, that's what room mates are for! "Besides, you should be thanking me, I got half this months rent taken off."

"Brooke!" Haley turned shocked, she knew her and Brooke had different views when it came to sex and dating, but did she even realise what she was saying? "You do realise that makes you sound like a prostitute!"

"Oh Haley." Walking across the room Brooke hugged Haley and patted her head condescendingly, causing the shorter girl to glare up at her, even though Haley had her heels on the brunette was still taller in her bare feet. "If there's one thing mommy dearest taught me it's that if a man is willing to give you something for what you're willing to do for free, you might as well let him give it to you, and I fully intended on letting Carl give it to me. In more ways than one."

Watching open mouthed for a second as her friend literally skipped out of the room Haley just shook her head unable to stop the chuckles before she snapped back to reality and grabbed her purse off the side running out of the door waving goodbye to the canoodling pair she passed on the way. As much as she loved Brooke, and she really truly did, she was pretty sure she'd never, ever, understand her.

----

"You ready for this, man?" Nathan looked over at Tim as they stood outside the building he'd entered many a time, but never in this capacity. As the youngest of a two son dynasty he had the luxury of not being expected to run the family business one day. Unlike his brother who had been groomed as his father's predecessor from day one, Nathan had been allowed the luxury of finding his own path in life. Ironically it led him here, 25 years old and getting ready to go and work for his father.

"Ooh yeah – bend over some more baby!" Tim spoke up breaking Nathan from his thoughts with a nudge to his shoulder. Looking over at where his friends eyes were leering Nathan could make out a petite woman being almost swallowed by the trunk of her car – and as his friend was pointing out, her skirt was riding further up her shapely thighs each time she dug deeper for whatever it was she was looking for.

"This is not happening." Haley mumbled to herself, blowing at the tendril of hair that had already escaped her bun and was now tickling at her face, hindering her already obstructed vision as she rooted around in her car for the work she'd taken home at the weekend. If she didn't get inside the office building in the next two minutes she'd be officially late, and that speeding ticket she was pretty sure she'd gotten on the way here would be for nothing.

"Think we should go offer her some help?" Tim winked causing Nathan to chuckle. He'd wondered if being around Tim in a professional setting would be any different to spending time with his best friend in any other. He found it oddly comforting that it wouldn't. He knew for a fact Tim did his job, and he did it well. Tim had practically grown up in their house. The Smith's had moved in next door when Nathan was two, instantly bonding with the Scott's due to having children the same age. When at eighteen Tim had decided going to college wasn't for him Dan had offered the boy a job. It was basic, entry level, and everyone had thought it was simply a stop over until Tim decided what he really wanted to, it turned out the youngster had an uncanny ability for talking people into doing things they weren't really sure they wanted to do. A fact everyone but Nathan had been shocked to discover, due to the situations Tim had talked his best friend into over the years. By the time Nathan had graduated college his friend was making a name for himself in advertising sales and had become the go-to man within Scott Publishing when smoozing was in order, and had only built on that reputation since.

"Please please please please." Oblivious to the fact that she was being watched Haley leaned in further still, pulling and pushing at the mess that had taken over her trunk. She wasn't sure why she'd even put the papers back here in the first place. She'd been using her car as extra storage since moving in with Brooke, and hadn't got around to sorting it out yet. She'd forgotten completely that the work was sitting on the backseat of her car until Brooke had picked it up Saturday morning when putting in her back for their trip. Cursing herself Haley had told her friend to just throw the papers in the trunk, knowing she wouldn't have time to do any work but at the least that way she wouldn't forget them come Monday morning. "Yes!"

The two men chuckled as they watched the woman straighten up and shake her hips from side to side, raising the papers above her head and waving them victoriously.

"I guess she found what she was looking for." Tim shook his head in amusement as he began to move toward the building.

"Guess so." Nathan stopped short in turning away when he caught sight of the woman's face. He squinted against the morning sun trying to get a clearer view. Something about that woman was familiar, but he wasn't quite able to place her.

"What?" Tim looked back when he noticed his friend wasn't behind him, watching a smirk grow on Nathan's face as the woman they'd been admiring from a far turned and walked toward them. From what he could tell she was attractive sure, but personally he preferred their pervious view. He was as big a sucker for a pretty face as the next, but at this point she was too far away to tell whether or not she was all that pretty. Her ass on the other hand, well that was pretty whatever the distance.

"He…" Nathan's greeting was cut off as Haley breezed straight past them, one hand holding the papers she'd just salvaged from her car, the other tugging at the hem of her skirt, her heels clicking audibly against the concrete of the parking lot. She was so going to be late. Letting go of her skirt to push her slipping purse up her shoulder she sighed when the material crept back up her thighs. Letting go of her purse strap she reached out to push the door just as a strong arm came over her shoulder and did it for her.

"Thanks so.." She turned to thank the person as she walked through the door, stopping short when her eyes made contact with his. His blue eyes. _His really pretty blue eyes_.

_Hey, you're a man. _

"Oh God." A rush of memories hit her, and she could feel heat pricking at her neck and crawling up her skin as a blush spread over her body.

_I am damn good in bed, thank you very much! _

"I take it you remember me, then." Nathan chuckled deeply, and Haley felt her skin getting hotter still, as the shorter of the men before her looked on confused.

_I'm 23 years old and I'm not even sure I've ever had an orgasm. _

Closing her eyes she breathed deeply, slowly peeling her eyes open and looking around, letting out a quiet strangled sob when she realised that she was infact still at work, and still faced with the blue eyed stranger. Her brow furrowed deeply as she all but willed her clothes to disappear and the foyer of Scott Publishing to turn into her high school auditorium, so she could break out into an off-key version of the national anthem before the biggest basketball game of the season and wake up in her own bed in a cold sweat.

"Damnit." She whispered quietly, the men's eyes still trained on her. She'd known she'd done something stupid that night. Had just known it. Why did she have to remember all this now. Why couldn't she have remembered in the car, when he would have just been a random guy in a bar she'd likely never see again instead of standing in front of her?! Why did God hate her so much lately? Why… Why was the random stranger from a bar in the small town her parents had moved to standing in front of her in the building she worked in, in a completely different town, clearly enjoying her flustered state? "What the hell are you doing here?"

"He's…"

"I lend you an ear for the night and that's how you greet me? I'm hurt. I thought we were buddies." Nathan cut off Tim before he could tell Haley who he was.

Haley didn't say anything, instead just stared slightly opened mouthed at the man before her as she tried to remember everything she'd said to him that night. As far as she could remember, she'd never told him her name, much less where she worked. "Are you stalking me?!"

"What?" Okay he knew she must be embarrassed, but accusing him of stalking her! And was she signalling for Bernie, the security guard who'd worked there as long as he could remember to come over? This woman was ridiculous. "I am not stalking you!"

"Look, I don't know who you are, and I know I told you some pretty personal stuff that night, but I was really drunk and that wasn't some kind of come on!"

"You've got quite the ego there sweetheart. Kind of high on yourself if you think you're worth all that effort." Nathan smirked at Haley, causing her to glare harshly as he nodded a greeting at the older gentlemen who'd joined them.

"Is there a problem here?" Bernie asked, and Haley turned from her glaring at Nathan to answer him.

"Yes, yes there's a problem. You need to get this man out of the building. I don't know who he is but he's been following me all weekend and.."

"I have not been following you!" Nathan wasn't sure whether to be offended or amused, but couldn't help but chortle at the bewildered look Tim was giving him.

"Miss, I'm afraid I can't.."

"Please!" Haley cut the security guard off, turning to implore for him to do as she asked. "I met him in a bar on Saturday night.."

"Ah!" Tim nodded in understanding.

"Not like that!" Haley cried desperately as Nathan shook his head in agreement, leaving Tim more confused than ever.

"Is she crazy?" Tim asked Nathan, eyeing Haley suspiciously.

"Past experience leads me to believe so." Nathan answered, laughing out loud at the gasp, scoff, and glare it produced from Haley.

"Bernie please!" She begged, shifting her purse on her shoulder, her shoe tapping against the floor impatiently.

"I don't know what's happening Darling, but I'm afraid I can't remove this gentlemen from the building, he's the bosses son."

"Nathan Scott, pleased to meet you." Haley's eyes widened with shock as she looked from the security guard, to Nathan's outstretched hand, to the shorter man she vaguely recognised from around the building, who was doing nothing to suppress his amusement at the display that was unfolding before him.

"I have to.. I…I'm late." Clutching the papers to her chest Haley spun on her heels walking away quickly in shock. She told herself to breathe, counting to ten and willing the redness that she could feel spread across her entire upper body to calm before she reached her office. Half an hour ago her biggest worry had been that her skirt was too short, now she'd embarrassed herself in front of the boss' son. She'd never met him before, Nathan, she reminded herself of his name, remembering the smirk that had donned his lips as he stretched his hand out for hers. The hand her idiotic self had stared at like she didn't know what to do with it before walking away. Unlike Lucas who'd hired her and she was in regular contact with, this son she couldn't remember ever being in the building, or at least her division of, so maybe it would be okay. Maybe she'd never see him again. She just hoped Bernie didn't tell him her name or by lunchtime the whole office building would likely know all about her drunken ramblings. God, it was freshman year all over again, worrying that everyone would think she was a freak. She really should have just stayed home.

"What was that?" Tim asked bemused as he and Nathan made their way up to top floor and Dan Scott's office.

"I'm not sure." A small smile played at Nathan's lips as he thought about what had just happened. Although the young woman had looked much more put together than the last time he'd seen her, no big stains donning the front of her dress, her hair more styled than the thrown up tangled mess he'd seen it in on Saturday night, as soon as she'd opened her mouth she was the flustered woman he remembered from the bar, the one that was far from his type but who had lingered in his mind all weekend.

----

"Are you okay, Hales?" Bevin asked as Haley threw herself down in her chair, banging her head repeatedly on her desk in an attempt to knock out the memory of Saturday night that was becoming clearer by the moment.

"You're late Haley." Raising her head from the desk, her hand coming up instantly to rub at the sore redden spot on her forehead, praying it wouldn't bruise and cursing her stupidity, Haley had to bite back her groan when she came face to face with the pinched features of Darla Turner, the office suck up who despite not having anymore power than Haley considered it her daily duty to point out every little thing Haley did wrong as she'd been doing the job longer. On her bitchier days Haley wanted to point that if she was still working as an assistant at a small magazine that was part of a company that prided itself on promoting from within she'd be more inclined to think about what she was doing wrong rather than others.

"By like five minutes, Dar, leave her alone." Bevin rolled her eyes at Haley, poking her tongue at the older woman who had turned with a huff, making a show of tapping frantically at her keyboard when everyone else was yet to even turn on their computers.

"Did I miss much?" Haley asked Bevin, sliding back on her chair and turning to face the girl at the desk beside her, reaching up and pulling the hair elastic from her hair and attempting to pull it all back up again.

"Nope, just lots of speculation on the mystery boss, and my running back and forth to the bathroom a hundred and one times."

"Still bad huh?" Bevin pouted, nodding and rubbing her non existent baby bump, causing Haley to smile. Nearing the end of her first trimester Bevin had been hit with a bad bout of morning sickness, meaning she spent most of the day running back and forth to the bathrooms, amidst jokes that they might as well move her computer in there. "Oh, that reminds me."

Pulling a package out of her bag Haley handed it over to Bevin who studied them for a second before raising a questioning eyebrow at Haley. "Motion sickness bands?"

"My sister swears by them when she's pregnant. I figured you might as well give them a shot."

"Aww, thanks Hales!"

"You're welcome." Moving back toward the desk Haley switched on her computer, a tutting clearly coming from Darla's desk could be heard over the machine booting up, and Haley looked up sending daggers at the redhead, before turning back to Bevin. "She freaked out when I asked her about morning sickness remedies – She was convinced it was my way of telling her Jake had dumped me because I was pregnant. She went from worshipping the guy to wanting to castrate him in two minutes flat."

Laughing, Bevin slipped the bands on her wrist, sipping tentatively at her water. "How are you doing with that?"

"Still fine." Haley shrugged, fiddling once again with her hair. "I know we didn't end on the greatest note, and it was definitely the right thing to do – not to mention along time coming, but when you've been with someone for five years, you miss things. I'm still not used to sleeping alone."

"I find it hard enough to sleep when I know Skills is just downstairs I couldn't imagine.." The blonde nodded in agreement, tears welling in her eyes, causing Haley to fight the laughter at her hormonal friend.

"Don't think about Bev, you guys are the real deal. Take it from someone who's faked the perfect relationship, it's easy to tell the difference."

"You think?"

"I know." The girls shared a smile, a loud cough breaking the moment, and causing the two to giggle. "I think we better start working before Darla's head explodes."

An hour later, and two trips to the bathroom for Bevin, the girls had made a dent into their work and were involved in a conversation with some of the other people in the office about the mystery boss who was still yet to turn up.

"Tired Haley?" Someone asked when she let out another yawn. The sleepless night combined with the mundane activities of a Monday morning was catching up with her, and her eye lids were getting heavy by the second.

"Maybe a little." She laughed, running her hands through her hair, cursing under her breath when her nail snapped at the hair elastic, her curls tumbling down onto her shoulders, and the band falling into two pieces in her hand.

"You should go get some coffee." Bevin spoke up, before adding enviously. "While you can still drink it."

"I'll get you a decaf – anyone else?" Haley offered, standing up when the other shook their head, walking out of the office and down the hall to the kitchen unit.

Waiting for the drinks to be ready she picked up a spoon frowning at her reflection as she tried to tame her curls. The hairspray she'd coated it in earlier to hold her bun in place only made the curls in the length of her hair appear wilder in comparison to the tamed top. Fingering a still damp tendril she leant back, meaning to sit down on the table behind her but misjudging the distance. Her bottom briefly skimming the end before she landed with a thump on the floor.

"Well done Grace." She mumbled using the table to pull herself up. Just as her she was about to extend to her full height she caught site of the men from earlier walking down the hall towards the open door. Without thinking, memories of both embarrassing encounters running rampant through her mind she dove back down to the floor. Biting her lip and clutching her knee as she banged it against the corner of the table. "Ow."

She stayed there for a moment, eyes shut, praying they wouldn't come into the kitchen, holding her breath as she listened to the voices getting closer, and then further away.

"Haley?" Opening her eyes she nervously looked up to see Darla's face looming down at her. "What on earth are you doing on the floor?"

"I uh, dropped an earring." Haley answered, causing the other woman to look more confused still.

"You're not wearing earrings."

"Oh yeah, um right, well see I thought I dropped an earring because I like touched my ear lobe and I was like, oh no, where's my earring so I started looking around, but then like just before you found me I touched my other earlobe and realised I wasn't wearing earrings at all. I'm so silly sometimes." She gave an exaggerated shrug.

"Right." Darla looked at Haley as though she'd lost her mind – A reaction Haley couldn't fault her for after the explanation she'd just given, and shook her head. "Well, you need to get back into the office, the new guy's on his way in. Oh, and you should do something about your hair, it doesn't look very professional."

"Yes thank you Darla." Haley bit back, fluffing her hair out with her hands defiantly. "I happen to like my hair this way."

"Each to their own." The red head sneered, running her eyes appraisingly up and down Haley before turning to walk out of the door. "You've got a ladder in your tights."

"What.." Looking down Haley noticed the tear growing from her knee, guessing she'd got it when she banged her knee hiding from Nathan Scott. Looking up at the ceiling she threw her hands up in the air. "Seriously?! Any other little road bumps you want to throw my way today."

"Uh, Haley." Haley flushed red when Darla's head poked back around the door. The expression on her face telling her that she'd just witnessed Haley's outburst, and it had caused already low opinion on the auburn haired woman had lowered still. "You need to come back. Now."

"I'll be one minute." Haley ground out through clenched teeth, closing her eyes and counting to ten. Getting as far as five before deciding throwing the spoon that was still in hands across the room was much more effective. Smiling as it smacked loudly against the wall before clattering to the floor.

"I really hate Brooke." Haley mumbled to herself as she exited the bathroom and walked quickly back to her office. Tugging desperately at the hem of her pinafore dress. The brunette had been right when she'd told her the dark tights would make the skirt look longer, but after seeing how obvious the ladder was as she was on her way back to the office she'd had to make a detour to the bathroom to take them off. Now she was late to meet her new boss, with her hair flying wildly down her back, and a lot more of her legs on display than she was comfortable with.

"…and so I just wanted to introduce myself to you all." Nathan finished talking to the office of people, looking around the room and taking in all the new faces. Lucas had called their attention a few minutes earlier, and introduced him as their new boss. He smirked at the few women in the office who fluttered their eyelashes flirtatiously as they looked up at him, causing Lucas to shake his head at his younger brother.

Lucas had to admit he was a bit wary when Dan had told him he was handing over the literature magazine to Nathan for a few months, so as to welcome him into the family business and make sure he was up to the job he'd came to do. It was one of the magazines that pretty much ran itself and Dan had just wanted to integrate Nathan into the company. Never knowing his brother to crack a book he didn't have to, Lucas still had his reservations, but his brother definitely had a way with people, he couldn't fault him that, and in a matter of minutes he already seemed to have half the staff eating out of the palm of his hands. The doors opened loudly and Lucas chuckled to himself as Haley flew through the door.

"Uh, hi." Haley said sheepishly, raising her hands in a small wave as all eyes were on her. It wasn't even midday yet but she was more than ready to go home, crawl into bed, and pretend this day had never happened.

"Welcome back, Haley." Darla beamed, a little too nicely for Haley's tastes.

Nathan watched amused as Haley made her away back to her desk, as far as he could tell she hadn't clocked him yet and he took a moment to run his eyes over her. He was sure her hair had been up earlier, and he definitely didn't remember her showing that much leg when he and Tim had been watching her bend over this morning. He watched as she sat down at her desk, before looking up at him, her already large eyes widening considerably as he walked toward her.

"Hi – Haley was it? I'm Nathan Scott. I guess I'm your new boss." He was doing it again – reaching his hand out for her to take, and for the life of her as she looked down at it she couldn't remember what was supposed to do. There was no way – just no way this could be happening. Sensing inquisitive eyes on her, her brain switched into gear and she placed her small hand in his large one, shaking it lightly.

"Uh, nice to meet you." She said quietly, her face flushing once again.

"Hottie, huh?" Bevin asked a few minutes later when Lucas had lead Nathan over to the other side of the room away from Haley's desk toward the glass box office that would be his.

"I guess." Haley murmured, resisting the urge to repeat her earlier actions and bang her head repeatedly against the desk. "Hey Bevin?"

"Yeah?"

"Pinch me." Haley requested thrusting her arm out toward the other woman.

"What?"

"Just pinch me."

"Um okay."

"Ow!" Haley rubbed the skin that Bevin had pinched and sighed. "Yep, definitely awake."

"What?" Bevin blinked confused. Haley was acting so weird today!

"Nothing, just, nothing." Glancing up at the clock Haley groaned placing her head on the down on her desk. Six and half more hours. Six and half long more hours until she could go home and try and forget that her boss now knew she'd never had an orgasm, slept with a teddy bear, and that she had greeted him with her dumpy legs freely displayed.

"Did you see how Haley blushed when he shook her hand? She's definitely got a crush." Nathan over heard a nasally voice sneer as he sat in his office with the door open.

"I know! And what she was wearing! I guess now she's broken up with that Jake guy she thinks she can sleep her way to the top! Maybe the timing's not a coincidence."

"He wouldn't have to offer me a promotion to sleep with him." The first voice spoke up, laughing before she continued. "If that's the way Haley wants to play it, so be it, but she's definitely got competition. She's no good at her job anyway."

Pushing up from his desk he shook his head at the way these women were talking about their colleague. His brother had informed him that it was a small friendly office, but he hadn't been there half an hour and was already starting to think that wasn't the case.

"Oh come on Darla, maybe she's just having a bad day." The second voice broke in, surprising Nathan in her deference of the young woman she'd just insinuated was out to sleep with him for a promotion. "Haley's sweet."

"You're so deluded Carol, Haley James is a.."

"Ladies." Their heads whipped round as he greeted them where they were stood at the photo copier.

"Hi Mr Scott."

"Hello Mr Scott." They greeted, having the good grace to look embarrassed as they scuttled back off their desk.

"Haley." He called her attention as he took the final steps to stand over her desk, causing her to whip her eyes up from where she'd been retyping the same sentence for the past five minutes. "Do you think you could come into my office for a minute?"

"Oh, um, sure Mr Scott." She answered reluctantly, shaking her head at Bevin who was mouthing 'hottie!' at her behind his back.

"Call me Nathan." He answered with a smile turning to walk away.

"He never told us to call him, Nathan." She heard Carol complain as she passed her desk.

"I just want you to know I'm not stalking you." He said light-heartedly as he shut the door behind them and motioned for her to sit down.

"Oh god. Look I'm really sorry about that, I swear I'm usually a really put together person, but everything's been going wrong for me today, and you turned up out of nowhere and I just.."

"I guess you do that a lot." He laughed, and she looked at him confused.

"Do what?"

"Ramble on like that."

"Oh." She blushed, her eyes fixed on her hands that she was twisting in her lap. "I guess, when I'm nervous."

"Do I make you nervous Haley?" She immediately snapped her head up at the deep tone his voice had taken, her eyes locking on his, swallowing down the urge to lick at her suddenly dry lips.

"I.." He couldn't help but laugh at her flustered state.

"I just wanted to tell you that you don't have to worry about me saying anything."

"Well thank you." She breathed deeply, both from relief and in an effort to calm herself down. "I appreciate that."

"and I appreciate the effort you made for me." He answered, his flirtatious tone causing her brow to furrow in confusion.

"..I like your hair down like that." He continued, "And I don't know why you were worried about you legs, they don't look at all dumpy from what I can see."

"URG!" Outraged at the way his eyes blatantly travelled up her legs Haley pushed the chair out from underneath her standing up. "Mr. Scott.."

"Call me Nathan."

"Mr Scott." She repeated emphatically, "I can assure you that the fact that my hair is down, or my skirt is a little short has nothing to do with you, and I resent the insinuation otherwise. You may have caught me in a couple of weak moments, but I am a professional who is here solely to do my job, a job I do well, and I'd appreciate it if you took note of that now we will be working together."

Nathan watched amused, and a little turned on, as Haley turned on her heels and walked out of his office, enjoying the view of her ass moving swiftly from side to side as she channelled her aggression into walking out of the door and across the office to her desk, the short material of her dress clinging to her form. Learning back he brought his hands up behind his head and leaned into them. This was definitely going to be an interesting few months.


	3. Note

Hi Guys

I'm sorry this isn't an update, just quick note.

Firstly I'd like to thank you all for your reviews and support! I love hearing what you think!

Secondly, and the main purpose of this note, is to apologise for how long it's been since I've updated, and also to say it'll likely be a while more. As it is the end of term things at school have been really hectic, with assessments, and assignments piled on. Not to mention I've been doing a few more hours at work to help me through the xmas shopping-party period!

It's actually been really frustrating, not being able to write when inspiration strikes, and I'm hoping it'll all come together in a big burst when time allows! I finish school next Friday for two weeks, and the plan is to get updates out over Christmas but as of now I have no idea how busy I'll be over the break, so there's a real chance it might have to wait until January.

Once again I'm really sorry – I know how frustrating it can be when there's big time gaps between updates of stories, and I really mean it when I say it's just as frustrating not to be able to find the time to write!

I hope everyone has a great Christmas – or whatever you are celebrating, or not celebrating at this time! I promise I'll get an update up as soon as possible!

Dawn (BabbleBaby) x


	4. Chapter 3

**Hi guys – I'm sorry it's been so long, in the end this update came out a bit shorter and different than I'd planned, but I think it works nonetheless, and hope you do too! Thank you for all your reviews they make my day and I've read over them a bunch of times while I've struggled to get back into the groove, I probably would have given up along time ago if it wasn't for your support so big thanks! Extra thanks to my girls who helped me along, especially **_**Lori**_**for her wonderful beta-ing. **

* * *

"Hales," Ignoring her friend's pounding on the door Haley stubbornly pulled the covers back over her head. She wasn't going into work today. No way. No how. Not while he was there. He who knew her secrets. He who'd seen her drunk. He who had a really nice ass.

"Damnit Bevin." She mumbled to herself as she persistently kept her eyes screwed shut. She wasn't going to wake up. She was just going to fall back into a peaceful slumber of dreams where she hadn't lost all ability to censor herself in front of her boss, and 'accidently' sleep the day. And while she was at it she was going to forget all the observations Bevin had made about Nath—Mr. Scott - All the observations Bevin had made about Mr Scott, and how attractive he was yesterday afternoon, while Haley was trying desperately to get her work done as quickly as possible and get the hell out of there before she had to have another conversation with that ass! "Damnit Haley, stop thinking about his ass."

"I know you're in there Tutor Girl, I can hear you talking to yourself, Crazy! You need to get up, you don't want to be late for work again!" Brooke banged twice more on Haley's door, her grating, as far as Haley was currently concerned, cheery voice shouting out, before she charged into the room and pulled off the covers. "Wakey Wakey!"

"Since when are you a morning person?" Glaring at her brunette friend Haley clawed for the covers. "Give 'em back!"

"I haven't gone to sleep yet." Brooke shrugged, releasing the duvet which Haley immediately pulled over her bare legs. "I had the most amazing night."

"God, please tell me not with Steven." Haley muttered, tossing and turning in an unsuccessful attempt to get comfortable again.

"Who?" Pausing in her glee-filled bouncing Brooke looked questioningly at Haley's back for a second, noting the uncharacteristic apathy her friend was showing for getting her day started before shaking it off and resuming her excited movements. "Oh your brother –God no is he even still in state? My dress - I finished it!"

Ignoring her squealing friend Haley reluctantly pulled herself from the bed. Who was she kidding? Of course she was going to work.

"Hales?" Pouting a little at Haleys seeming indifference to her news Brooke's energy dropped and she sagged onto the bed, crawling beneath the covers and into the warm space her friend had just vacated.

"I'm sorry Brookie, that's great. Really it is!" Eyeing her friend's slow, almost nervous movements the brunette picked up the teddy bear off the bedside table and tugged it into her embrace.

"You're hiding something from me." She observed as she watched Haley get ready. Yawning as her sleepless night caught up with her. "But tell me later 'cause I'm really tired, and Mr. Waffles seems like the perfect sleep partner right now. Night."

Haley let out the breath that had caught in her throat when Brooke had questioned her hiding something, and turned to thankfully see her friend sprawled out already asleep on the bed. She didn't like keeping things from Brooke, and she knew if she kept thinking like a spaz about it all, she'd start acting like a spaz about it all, but it was embarrassing! Her first instinct when she'd walked into their apartment yesterday was to begin ranting and raving about the pigheaded man she'd met that day, but then she realised to explain that she'd have to explain that in fact she hadn't met him that day, she'd met him before. In a bar, in Tree Hill. When she was wasted. She wasn't the type to get drunk and be stupid, and she certainly wasn't used to doing something stupid and then having it come around and bite her on the ass. She was used to being teased for being overly cautious, for not having any surprises in her life because she was just too careful. She could only imagine the field day Brooke would have if she knew that not only had she done just that, but her damn bad look had meant she'd been drunk and stupid in front of the person who was now responsible for the future of her career, 'cause not only was he her boss, but he was the company owner's son. Yeah, she really didn't want to have to explain that. Closing the bedroom door behind her she smoothed her thankfully appropriate length skirt and grabbed her jacket off the back of the couch.

Laughing to herself as Brooke's snore rumbled through the bedroom door behind her as she headed out of the apartment. She remembered the first time she'd told a boy in college that the gorgeous brunette had a tendency to snore like a trucker. He looked at her in disbelief before his face crumpled like she'd killed his puppy. Of course he'd went ahead and hit on her anyway – took more than that to turn a guy off Brooke Davis.

"Son?" Dan walked into his office surprised to find his youngest already sat in his desk chair. "How did you get in here?"

"Carolyn let me in." Nathan smirked, rolling his eyes but doing as his father wordlessly asked as the older man stared pointedly at the seat he was in, moving around the table and sitting back down. "You might need a new secretary Dad, if she makes a habit of letting strangers walk into your office."

"You might be strange, Nathan, but you're no stranger. Carolyn's known you since you were four. Your mother was disappointed you didn't come for dinner last night, she wanted to hear all about your first day."

Wincing Nathan sat straighter up in his chair at the mention of disappointing his Mom. He'd forgotten he'd agreed the previous weekend to drive out to Tree Hill for dinner after his first day in the office. His mother ecstatic at the idea of all her guys working in the same place, under the family name. "I forgot."

"You forgot?" Dan laughed at the same excuse he'd been hearing from Nathan since he was thirteen. "Tim Smith have anything to do with your forgetting?"

Nodding Nathan laughed along with his father. It had been Tim's fault. A supposed quiet drink after work to toast his first day had turned into one too many, the two younger men continuing their drinking long after Lucas had left. "I'll call Mom later and apologise."

"Make sure you do. She's suffering from a bit of empty-nest syndrome."

"Dad, I moved out to go to college seven years ago."

"I know, but she sees you coming here to work as you settling down, Nate, growing up. You're her baby, or so she kept reminding me last night."

"Am I your baby too dad?" He joked, causing a glare from the older man.

"How was your first day?" Shaking his head amused at the way his father ignored his teasing he shrugged, unable to stop the slight smile that tugged at his lips. The first thing that came to mind when he thought over his previous day was Haley James. The way she'd timidly came into his office when he'd called, seemingly cowering under her own embarrassment, only to storm out minutes later full of confidence and sass.

"It was...interesting."

"Interesting?" Dan questioned, flicking through the mail that was laying on his desk. "I never trusted you when you were vague, son."

"It was good, Dad." Nathan laughed, "I think this is going to go well."

"I hope so, I was talking to your brother – when he actually showed up for dinner last night."

"Yeah, yeah, Dad, I'll call Mom."

"Good – as I was saying, I was talking to Lucas and we think it would be good if you had an assistant of your own to help you settle in. Let me see." He picked up a pile of papers from his side before nodding. "Darla Houston's been there the longest. Seems competent enough, candidate for promotion, maybe you could keep an eye on her why she helps you out."

Sitting back Nathan tried to remember which one was Darla. Shaking his head when he remembered the bitching he'd overheard. He really didn't want to be saddled with the office gossip, he was serious about this. "Do I have to have her?"

"Well, no. You don't have to."

"It's just I had someone else in mind..."

"You did?" Dan asked, shocked at Nathan's initiative. "Who was that?"

"Haley James."

"Haley James..." Flipping through the pages in front of him the older man trailed off for a few minutes, "Well, yes, if you think she'd be better.."

"From what I know of Haley, I think we would." Dan eyed Nathan hesitantly, the fact he'd called Haley by her first name so naturally not escaping him.

"This isn't about getting a pretty girl is it Nathan?"

"No, " Nathan laughed at his dad's assumption, sure he thought she was pretty, but that wasn't why he wanted to work with her. He figured he'd get more done if he actual enjoyed the company of the person he was working with. He also had a sneaking suspicion Darla was the colleague Haley had spoken of that stole her work. "I just think Haley and I would work better together. I'm serious about this job Dad."

"I know you are Nathan, I didn't mean to insinuate otherwise. If you still feel the same way after a couple of days of getting to know the office, have a word with Ms. James. Just keep Darla Houston in mind."

Nodding, Nathan got up to leave when Carolyn's voice came through the speaker. "Sorry to interrupt Mr Scott but your wife's on line one."

"Thank you Carolyn." Dan motioned for Nathan to sit back down. "Hi Karen, your son's got something to say to you."

"Hey Mom!" Nathan tried his best not to sound hungover and threw his dad a smirk as the familiar sounds of Karen's good-natured lecturing came through the phone.

"Brooke I don't want to be here!" Haley pouted still as they walked past the velvet rope and into the club, trying to ignore the death glares she was getting from the long line of people waiting to get in. It was a Tuesday night! Who stood in line to get into a club on a Tuesday night? Didn't these people have jobs to go to in the morning! Okay, so she had a job to go to in the morning and she was still there, but only because her over enthusiastic best friend - who she was currently indebted to for letting her take over her sewing room as a bedroom - had dragged her out, and she wasn't coming quietly. "Brookie!"

"Stop pouting unless you're going to turn those puppy dog into bedroom-eyes." Brooke told her, showing the VIP pass she'd been given so they were stamped and ushered in without paying. "We had free entry to the hottest new club in town on opening night, James, we were not sitting around so you could mope about your used-to-be-hot-before-he-turned-into-a-cheating-dick ex!"

"I wasn't moping about Ja-"

"Do not say his name." The brunette beauty warned, she had decided that Haley needed new karma when it came to men, and it wasn't that Haley didn't agree, especially after her encounters with Nathan Scott, infact she knew she was in dire need of it, but putting a ban on uttering Jakes name, and burning photographs of their relationship seemed a bit extreme. Especially as her hair looked really good in some of the pictures Brooke had picked out! "Come on Haley, we're going to have fun tonight!"

"I'm too tired to have fun." Sighing Haley twisting a strand of her straightened hair around her finger. She was exhausted, completely exhausted and the shots Brooke had poured down her throat before they left the apartment weren't helping matters at all. All day she'd run around avoiding Nath – Mr Scott. She had gotten to work early with the specific purpose of getting as much work as possible done before he arrived, giving herself the freedom to duck in and out of the office whenever he would be around. Surprising even herself it had worked, and she'd got there long before he arrived, unfortunately she hadn't steered clear of all Scott's and had had to partake in a particularly awkward conversation with Lucas where he was his usual charming self, and she spent the entire time trying to work out if her previous meeting with his brother had been turned into dinner time conversation at the Scott household yet. In fairness they probably didn't live at home anymore both being she guessed well into their twenties, but her paranoia had no logic, and considering what an idiot she'd made of herself she had the right to act a little crazy. Maybe not as crazy as she'd been acting, but a little crazy.

"Whatever conversation you're having without yourself looks way too intense. C'mon – to the bar we go!"

"Brooke, I don't think I should drink tonight." Not after what happened the last time she was drunk. From now on Haley James was teetotal. Well, maybe not entirely teetotal since she'd already drank some tonight, but no more getting drunk in public, and definitely no more drunken rants in public. "No sir-ee Bob."

Stopping in her quest for the bar Brooke turned and gave Haley a quizzical look. "Who's Bob?"

Whoops. She hadn't realised she'd said that out loud. "Oh, no one."

"No tell me!" Brooke eagerly eyed the crowd, grabbing onto a man who was trailing behind them. "Are you Bob?"

"I can be Bob." He smirked, Haley shaking her head as Brooke made a disgusted sound and pushed him away.

"There is no Bob, Brooke. It's just..." she trailed off, if she said it was just a saying would that be enough, or would it only make Brooke push to know why she'd been saying it. She rubbed her temple, it sure was loud it here. The question was; was in here the club, or her brain. "Let's get you a drink."

"Well that's what I've been saying James!" Watching Brooke push past the crowd at the bar Haley hung back. Brooke always got served quicker; bartenders had a habit of over-looking her. Literally. And she didn't feel like being sandwiched between two sweaty bodies for nothing.

"Does your friend have a kink for guys named Bob?" Turning Haley let out a loud laugh at 'Bob' who was questioning her eagerly.

"Is your name Bob?" She asked, biting her lip in amusement, ah the things guys were willing to do for a pretty girl!

"No." He shrugged, clearly confused as to what that had to do with anything.

"So I guess it's kind of moot." She shook her head, turning away and searching the crowd for her friend.

"Mute?"

"Moot." She shouted back at him over the music, rolling her eyes. Maybe he'd just misheard, as opposed to being a complete idiot.

"Huh?" She swore she could actually see his brain giving up from the exertion it had been put through. "Girl, your friend is fine, hook me up."

"Um,.. no." Another minute with this guy and her no getting drunk in public resolution would be going out of the window as soon as something alcoholic came her way.

"Why not?" He was clearly offended, and she couldn't stop the laugh that erupted, only feeling a little bad at the hurt look they crossed his face.

"Cause you're not called Bob." She replied simply, smiling at the thankful sight of Brooke coming their way, two fruity looking drinks in hand. Okay, one more drink, but that was it.

"What?"

"Go away." She shouted over her shoulder as she walked away from him toward her friend.

"Bitch!"

"What are you laughing at?" Brooke asked as she handed Haley her drink, leading her up the stairs in search of a table.

"Oh just..." Haley trailed off trying to think of an appropriate answer, "Bob."

"Who the hell is Bob?!" The look on pure frustration on her friends face had Haley giggling louder. "How much did you drink before we came out?"

"I'm. So. Sorry." Haley got out as she laughed harder as she slid into the booth next to Brooke, tears welling in her eyes as she tried to calm down. Oh boy she knew she looked crazy, and really it wasn't that funny, but she was so tired, and so confused, and damn it felt good to just laugh!

"And people say I'm the crazy one."

"You are," The laughter ceasing Haley sat back up straight to reply. She knew she hadn't been quite her put together self lately but there was no way she was crazier than Brooke Davis – the definition of the crazy good time friend.

"Says you with the imaginary friend called Bob."

"And here I thought you wanted me to move on from J---he who shall not be named!"

"Yeah I do to someone real, not..." She trailed off, lowering her voice so only Haley could hear it over the thumping bass line. "Is Bob your... ya know?"

"My..."

"You know, your... bzzzzzzz"

"Oh my god!" Letting out her hushed exclamation Haley's eyes darted around her to see if anyone could hear, her cheeks burning so red she was sure they were shining beacon like in the darkened building. "No, oh my gosh! No – He – I. I don't have one of.." She lowered her voice still, her eyes boring into the table. "those."

"You don't?" Brooke asked clearly shocked. "Like – you never did, or you left it at Jake's?"

"Like ever, why would I need one when I was with Jake anyway – not that I need one now." She added on hastily. Should she have one? Was that where her and Jake had gone wrong, just relying on each other. No, that couldn't be it... .Could it?

"Oh honey if you don't think you need one you clearly never had one."

Scoffing Haley shook her head, of all the people to be listening to. "Well you hardly need one do you." She teased.

"You know, you might be onto something. Think of the money on batteries I'd save if I just got round to installing that revolving door! You could have my hand me downs."

"Ew, Brooke, I am not using your... Bob."

"I meant boys, Haley, but what's mine is yours."

"You're disgusting." Brooke let out a loud cackle as Haley shuddered in disgust. That was just so wrong. So very wrong.

"What exactly did you think was the buzzing coming from my bed when we roomed together?"

"You mean you...when we.. when I was in the... Oh my god, Brooke!"

"Oh my sweet naive little Haley. Well, I know what you're getting for Christmas this year!"

"Please don't." Haley pleaded, once again looking around to see if anyone was listening. Rolling her eyes as Brooke just laughed harder. "And I'm not naive."

"Whatever you say, baby! Ooh I can't wait to take you Bob shopping."

"Don't call me baby! And we are not going Bob shopping – and stop calling them Bob."

"Why? Cause that's your name. That's cool I think I'll name mine..." Brooke looked around the balcony area, her eyes settling on a tall well built blonde. "After that guy, I might even introduce them later."

Rolling her eyes once again at her friends brazenness she couldn't help but stretch up and look around following Brooke's gaze, nodding in approval at her choice. Oh she might not agree with how she went about it, but most times her friend definitely no how to pick them. "No way."

"No way what?"

"Lucas."

"Huh?"

"That guy – he's called Lucas, he's my..."

Before Haley could finish Brooke had jumped up and walked over toward Lucas, and his, as far as Haley was concerned cringe worthy drink buddy.

"Hi Lucas." Haley bit her lip nervously from behind the pillar she was currently stood behind, close enough to see and hear what was going but hopefully out of sight.

"Hi, sorry, do I know you?" Lucas laughed, shrugging at his brothers cocked questioning eyebrow.

"Not yet but you're going to know me very well before the night is out."

"He's married, Brooke." Haley said, coming into view before her friend could go any further. "The good kind of married."

"Oh, well, damn. What about you?" Brooke winked at the taller of the two men. "You'll do just fine."

"Hello Haley."

"Mr Scott." Haley replied willing her cheeks not to flush.

"I told you to call me, Nathan."

"Well, I don't think it's very professional." She turned away, ignoring the questioning gaze Brooke was giving her. "Hello Lucas."

"Haley, how are you?"

"You call him Lucas, but you won't call me Nathan." Nathan laughed, amused at how clearly rattled the petite woman was by his presence.

"I'm not under him." She snapped back, causing Nathan to laugh, and Brooke and Lucas to look on confused. Crap, she hadn't meant to say it that way. "I mean, he's not my direct boss."

"This is your new boss? Now I really don't know why you were so reluctant to go to work this morning."

"Shut up. Brooke!" Haley hissed, cutting her eyes at her friend, groaning at the faux innocent shrug and sparkling mischievous eyes she got in return.

"So, this is Brooke, the one you kissed right?" Nathan asked, Haley choking on air while Lucas looked on shock, and Brooke smirked. "Yeah, I wouldn't have pushed her away either."

"God, what do you have a photographic memory of something?" Haley asked, waving a hand in front of her crimson cheeks.

"You said it babe, not wrote it." Babe? No way had her boss just called her babe!

"You two kissed?" Lucas asked, looking from one attractive woman to the other, swallowing a little at the images his mind conjured. He might be married, but he was still a man.

"We can if you want handsome.." Brooke winked, catching on to the familiar look he was sporting.

"He's married Brooke!" Haley tore her gaze from Nathan's amused one to warn the other girl again.

"I know, I'm just playin' he knows that. Right Blondie?"

"Yeah, sure, right." Lucas answered, clearly a little uncomfortable.

"Uh huh, well, it was nice seeing you two, have a good night, C'mon Brooke!" Haley spoke up hastily, pulling Brooke away.

"Alright, Alright, jeez! Bye Blondie, Boss Man!"

The two men shared an amused look as the petite auburn haired woman dragged her taller friend off, the brunette clearing being heard asking her friend if all the men at her work were that attractive, and did they need any temps?

"Really?" Haley said with a tight smile, trying to convey her complete disinterest. Where the hell was Brooke when you needed her? At first Haley had been grateful when her friend had seen someone she knew and told her she'd meet her upstairs by the bar, having spent the past hour since their run in with the Scott brothers asking Haley how exactly her boss knew they'd kissed, and was there a reason she was telling people, and if she had some kind of crush on her she was really flattered, but she'd tried the whole lesbian thing in college, and it really didn't do it for her. She knew people she could hook her up with though!

"Hmmm.." She replied again, when the man next to her proceeded to rattle on about his own achievements. She ran a finger over her lips when laughter bubbled in her throat when she caught the bartender watching them amused.

"De ja vu." Turning to her right she was surprised to see Nathan stood beside her, the man who'd been talking her ear off for the fast fifteen minutes making an excuse to walk away.

"Huh?"

"You, me, a bar." He smirked, calling the bartender over and ordering a bottle of water. "Do you want anything?"

"No, Thank you, I'm good." She held up her own bottle of water, surprised by how not shocked she with how quickly he had been served, she herself having waited a good fifteen minutes.

"Not drinking?"

She gave him a disbelieving look. "No, I think it's safer I don't. I tend to get a little loose lipped when alcohol's around."

"So I remember." He smirked, and she found herself absorbed by the way it seemed to shine through his eyes, shaking it off and reminding herself he was in fact her boss.

"Yeah, thanks for that by that way. Brooke now thinks she's going to have to lock her bedroom door so I don't sneak in during the night and try and seduce her."

"Sorry," He said, not at all convincingly. "Can't say I'd blame you if you did."

"She snores." Haley blurts out, she hadn't meant to, but the idea of Nathan finding Brooke attractive turned her stomach in a way she really didn't want it to.

"What?" He scrunched his brow in confusion.

"Brooke – she snores, like a trucker. Shakes the walls some nights!"

"I'll be sure to remember that." He shook his head in amusement, wondering if he was imagining the jealously he thought was coming from her.

"Yeah..." She gnawed embarrassed at her lower lip, unsure of what to say next. She knew she should get up and walk away before she ended up saying something else regrettable, but she didn't want to. She was enjoying being around him more than she'd enjoyed anything all evening. More than she should be enjoying it, she was sure.

"Didn't see you around the office today..." And there was why...

"Oh, really? That's strange, I was there all day." She tried to act innocent, staring what she hoped was indifferently around her.

"Yeah, my brother said." She couldn't stop the side of her mouth turning up at his tone. He almost sounded...well, jealous. "Look, Haley, I..."

She didn't know what he was going to say but she was sure she didn't want to hear the rest of that sentence. The last time someone had started a sentence Look, Haley, I, it had carried on with the past five years have been great but...

"I didn't picture you for the water type." She blurted out, focussing on the bottle that he was holding in his hands. Woah, he had really big hands...

"Still recovering from the night before." He chuckled, "My friend Tim took me out to celebrate last night and well.."

"Tim? That's the guy from uh," She blushed remembering the conversation, "From the lobby right? The one who thinks I'm crazy?"

"Yeah," He chuckled, taking clasping lightly onto the top of her arm and moving her with a gentle force across the room to a vacated booth. "Don't worry, he's got no grounds to call anyone crazy."

"Hey, um, I hope you don't think I'm like some alcoholic, that night when you saw me I.. well I really don't usually drink like that, and tonight Brooke dragged me out and I know I have work tomorrow but I promise I'm not going to come in with a raging hangover or something, I.."

"Haley." He laughed, holding a hand up motioning for her to stop talking, "It's fine. I didn't think you were an alcoholic, it didn't even cross my mind. For the record I'm only here because the guy who owns the place is a cousin of ours, have to show family support you know?"

"Yeah, I get that..."

"Talking of family, how'd it go with your sister?"

"Huh?" Which sister? What was he.. Oh. Flashback. Damn alcohol.

"Your sister, the one whose boyfriend hit on you."

"Fiancée." She corrected, shaking her head, the blush that seemed to be in permanent residence around him crawling back onto her cheeks. "I'm not really sure he did hit on me and I just don't know what to do about it I mean, if he did then she deserves to know but maybe it was just..." She trailed over, realising once again she was rambling on about her personal life to this man she didn't really know, and this time she didn't have alcohol to blame. "Man, do you remember everything I said that night?"

"What can I say, you intrigued me." He smirked and her fingers came up to play with the neckline of her top, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. He was her boss, he shouldn't be saying stuff like that to her, and she definitely shouldn't be turning into a puddle in response.

"I, uh, don't really know what to say that to that."

"Say you won't avoid me anymore." He implored to her, those damn eyes shining with such sincerity she had to suck in a deep breath.

"I've not been..."

"C'mon, Haley, from what I hear you're the model employee but I don't think I saw you at your desk once today. I told you I'm not going to tell anyone what happened between us..."

"Nothing happened between us!" She defended. He was making it sound like they'd had an affair or something!

"You know what I mean, I'm not going to say anything Haley, I told you that. I meant it, and I've been thinking maybe we can do each other favour?"

"What do you mean?"

"I think we could both do with a friend. I need someone to help me get to grips with things at work, someone who knows the run of things, and I've looked in your files at work, you've got too much talent for the job you're doing. I'll tell you a secret."

"Well you know most of mine." She mumbled, causing him to chuckle.

"Well, then maybe this'll even the score a bit. I'm not going to be on the magazine for long, it's sort of a test for me, so my dad knows I'm capable."

"Capable of what?"

"I can't really tell you that, especially not here." He motioned to their surroundings and Haley was surprised to find she'd completely forgotten they were still in a club. "As I was saying, maybe we can help each other out, you assist me, and I'll make sure my dad knows just how much potential you have."

"And he'd listen to you?" She asked, admittedly intrigued.

"He should." He nodded. "I really could do with a friend here, Hales."

She smiled at the use of the nickname, pursing her lips a little in contemplation, "You do realise everyone's going to think we're sleeping together if you get me a promotion."

"Do you care?" He stated, laid back, cocky. He could see her agreeing already.

"Sort of." She said honestly, shrugging her shoulders.

"Well, think about it. Let me know tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I guess." She fiddled with the label on her water bottle, gnawing at her lip. It sounded like a good offer, but was it a good idea? It seemed she either spilled her guts to him, was infuriated by him, or couldn't stop thinking about how good looking he was when she was around him, and it had only been a matter of days. God knows what could happen in a couple of months…

"Goodnight, Haley." He brushed his fingers down her arms as he slid out of the booth and she gave an involuntary shiver.

"Goodnight, Nathan."

"Nathan." He smirked. "Well, that's a start."


	5. Chapter 4

**First of all (as is becoming a bit of a pattern,) I'm sorry it's been so long since I've updated. I went away to visit some family and school has just been crazy! Talking of which nothing inspires me quite as much as an impending college deadline which it already looks like I'm going to miss! So hopefully you'll all like this enough to make up for the crappy grade I'm going to get thanks to this form procrastination :-D **

**Big thanks to Lori (Lorilozz) for beta-ing for me. And to Kris, and Ash for their support! **

**Oh, and italics are flashbacks! **

* * *

Even as he told himself not to, Nathan didn't even bother to try to look away as he watched Haley groan and reach up, before bringing her hands down her back and massaging her tired shoulders.

"I think I should send my chiropractor bill to the company." She smiled up at him, pushing away from the desk to stretch herself out more fully.

"You see a chiropractor?" Looking over to see that his eyes did indeed seem curious she laughed and shook her head.

"It was a joke, Nathan." His name tripped easily off her tongue now, after a month of working together in close quarters it had been a long time since he was Mr Scott to her. These days she found it strange to address him as such, even when she had to. Something that had caused her to blush and giggle like a school girl when she'd accidently called him Nathan in a meeting earlier that day. Unfortunately, she was aware that neither the blush, nor free use of his name had done anything but fuel the rumours that it was more than her worth ethic that had afforded her the semi-promotion. Sighing at that thought she looked out at the once bustling but now eerily quiet office that lay beyond his door. She'd barely hesitated over his offer of working as his assistant. She'd been bored in her job, wondering if she'd ever get an opportunity to be more, and here he was offering her that. She'd have been a fool to turn it down. Brooke told her the same, only for a completely different reason, one that caused her to wink and giggle when Haley came home from yet another night working late. "All I meant was these late nights are doing nothing for my neck."

"Want me to rub it for you?" She jumped, not having realised he was behind her until he spoke the words and his hands were on her shoulders. Oh God! She pleaded with herself not to moan out loud as his large hands massaged at her tender muscles. She tried, oh how she tried, not to let the sensation take her over but her eyes fluttered shut of their own accord, and her breathing came out heavy in the silent room. "Feel better?"

She bit her lip so as not to groan out at the feelings the husky tone of his voice stirred up inside of her, this was getting ridiculous, ridiculous and really really dangerous. Oh she knew he was an attractive man, had known it from the first time she'd looked into those eyes, the ones she could feel practically boring into her when she sat at her old desk catching up with Bevin before going to work in her new space just outside of his, but she'd never expected to be so attracted to him. Over the past month they'd developed a tentative friendship, and she'd been surprised to find that despite his cocky tendencies he was actually a pretty decent guy. Intelligent, dedicated, he welcomed her input and suggestion, and he didn't belittle her just because he was the boss.

"If you two are done, I need to clean in here." Immediately the pair jumped apart, Haley's eyes seeking the floor, purposely avoiding the new occupant of the room. Wonderful, just wonderful, more fuel for the Haley's sleeping with the boss fire.

"We'll be ten minutes." Nathan's gruff response came before Haley could bring herself to speak, and the man in the doorway nodded and walked away, his cleaning cart squeaking against the floor behind him. How had she not heard that before? "You okay?"

He watched both concerned and amused as she breathed deeply, shaking her head and seemingly mumbling to herself under her breath. When she'd tensed beneath his touch as the cleaner made his presence known he'd looked down, having to suppress a laugh at how wide her already large eyes became before she jolted away. She was so jittery, he'd noticed that over the past few weeks, and if he didn't know better he'd think she was jumped up on caffeine – or something stronger though that thought had never crossed his mind - from her apparent inability to stay still, and tendency to be startled easily. What surprised him though was how endearing he found it, It had became comforting when they'd be working late to hear her foot tapping constantly at the wooden floors, a soft, barely audible thump sounding in the room.

"It's after eight thirty." She pointed out with a small smirk as she pulled herself together. She was being an idiot, a really big, stupid idiot. They were colleagues, maybe friends, nothing more. You don't let maybe friends rub your shoulders in a darkened office, and you definitely don't get turned on by maybe friends – definite colleagues – no, definite bosses – rubbing your shoulders in darkened offices. Not that she was turned on by it, of course. Definitely wasn't turned on by it. "You know what that means."

"Yeah Yeah, dinner on me." He shut down his computer, once again unable to tear his eyes from her despite knowing he should, as she bent over to pick up her purse, the demure work skirt moulding against her behind. "You know I never would have suggested that arrangement if I'd known how much you could put away in that tight little body of yours."

Stopping at his words Haley looked at him over her shoulder, unaware of the position she'd left herself in, an amused grin playing at her lips. "Excuse me?"

"What?" He asked, his eyes trailing up from her butt, startled at the twinkle in her eye. What was it he'd just said? Oh. Shit. "No!"

"No? I don't have a tight little body?" She pulled herself up straight, enjoying watching him squirm. She was usually the one that got flustered by his teasing. It was nice to turn the tables for once.

"No." Wait. That didn't sound right. Was that insulting? "I mean yes, yes you have a little body."

"A tight little body?" She taunted, emphasising the word he missed and resisting the belly laugh that was crawling up her throat. "I don't know if you should be looking at my body like that, Mr Scott, I'm pretty sure that's seen as an abuse of power."

She just managed to get out the rest of her sentence before the laughter escaped, and he let out a playful frustrated growl as he relaxed, realising all along she'd been teasing. "That wasn't nice, Hales."

She shrugged, clearly unconcerned with how nice or not it had been as her shoulders still shook with residual giggles.

"Let's go get your tight little ass some dinner."

"Ass?!" She asked, stopping right in the doorway they'd been about to exit. The cleaner's groan of disappointment clearly heard. He'd thought they were finally going to leave so he could get on with his job. "Nobody said anything about my ass, Scott."

"Yeah, yeah, you have a nice ass. Now move it, James."

He thought she had a nice ass. Of its own accord a slightly smug smile appeared on her face. She really shouldn't be okay with that, but she had to admit she felt kind of proud that he'd noticed.

"So where do you want to eat?" He asked when they reached the car park, steering the conversation onto any subject but her ass. Not that it wasn't a pleasant subject for him. Or sight for that matter, he smirked as she clicked her keys to unlock her car, remembering when he and Tim had taken in said pleasant view his first morning at work.

"Hmm." She opened the driver's door and paused, leaning against it. Her lips pursed slightly in conversation. "Oh! I know, that little Italian around the corner."

"No." He said simply, he had no intention of taking her back to that place. When he'd suggested when they first began working together that he'd pay for dinner if they were stuck in the office any later than eight-thirty he'd been thinking takeout pizza delivered to his office once a month or something. Unfortunately he hadn't realised just how much work he'd have to do and it had turned into sit down dinners three or four nights a week when they realised just how late it had become. Not that he was complaining, he'd actually begun to enjoy eating with her, talking to her. He even looked forward to the inevitable rant she'd have when the waiter would put the bill down in front of him, and how uncultured it was of them to just presume they were on a date because they were a man and a woman eating together, and even if it was a date – why should he be the one paying? "I'm not taking you anywhere where I have to pay for macaroni and cheese ever again. It's just embarrassing."

"Whatever dude." She rolled her eyes, he so wasn't the first person to call her out on her childish dining habits. "I'll just pay for it myself."

"But the deal was I take you out to dinner. Come on, we'll go that grill place we went to last week."

"Mmm barbeque – how manly." She joked sarcastically. They actually did a really good steak, but he wouldn't get off with teasing her mac and cheese that easily.

"You love it."

"The barbeque or how manly you are?" She quipped without thinking as she climbed into the driver's seat. Oh damn, she hadn't meant to say that, she really had no idea why she did. Was she flirting? No, no, she wasn't flirting. She really should not be flirting.

He raised an amused eyebrow in her direction, watching her cheeks fill with colour. He wasn't sure what had gotten into her today, but he was enjoying it nonetheless.

"I'll see you there." He told her closing her car door before walking away.

She watched him get into his car and drive out of the lot, groaning and resting her head on his steering wheel when he was out of sight, her words playing over again in her mind. Damn was she an idiot. Idiot, idiot, idiot.

---------

"So, how did it go this weekend?" Nathan asked when they were sat in their seats looking over their menus.

"This weekend?" She asked, not even bothering to glance up from the delectable selection in front of her. Maybe she'd been craving grilled food after all.

"With your sister." He prodded, laughing at she proceeded to look intently at her menu. It was a lot more appetising than some of the places they'd been when they'd first started going out to eat. She never said so but he was pretty sure she'd been worried about the price back then.

_"I've been meaning to ask..." She could barely hear him over the hustle and bustle of the diner as she looked up from her meal, biting a little on her lip when she caught sight of him. He looked so out of place, his suit jacket slung over the back of his chair, his tie only slightly loosened at his neck. She doubted he frequented places like this much. The red vinyl booths, the tacky cheap faux 60s decor. When he'd suggested they go get something to eat after working so late she'd been about to say no when her stomach had grumbled embarrassingly loudly, and he'd laughed, saying he'd take that as her answer. He'd given her the choice of where to eat, and although the thought of the small bistro in the opposite direction had her mouth watering, she'd instead steered them to a diner a few streets over. She didn't want to take advantage, and on the off chance they were seen by anybody from work this would look less like a date. She'd spent the past days since she'd taken on her new position hearing whispers behind her back, and being on the receiving end of more than one suspicious glance. _

_"Ask me what?" _

_"What you were doing in Tree Hill that night?" He smirked at the blush that formed on her cheeks at the memory of how they'd first met. He'd tried to stay clear of anything that would hint at that night knowing how embarrassed she was. They'd just started working together and she was turning out to be a bigger asset to him that he'd expected, the last thing he needed to do was piss her off. He might not have known her long, but he knew she was a little spitfire when she was angry. His smirk grew as he waited for her to respond. _

_"Oh." Damn. She'd hoped they could go their entire working relationship without that night ever being brought up again. Not that she didn't think of it every, single, time they spoke.. "My parents were having a party." _

_"They live in Tree Hill?" That surprised him. Tree Hill was a small town, and being the son of 'The' Dan Scott had afforded him the luxury – or possibly curse – of knowing pretty much everyone that lived there. _

_"Now they do." She took a large bite out of her cheeseburger chewing down the urge to say like your folks do. He probably wouldn't be surprised by it, in fact she guessed if you asked most Scott Publishing employees they could tell you that Dan Scott lived most of the week in the small town, but that wasn't actually how she knew. She probably would have remembered the fact at some point, but the reason it was at the forefront of her mind now had more to do with the fact that she'd spent the previous evening googling Nathan Scott. Or Nathan Royal Scott as she now knew him now to be, and she was sure, just certain, that if she told him she knew Tree Hill was his home town he'd be able to tell it had nothing to do with the history of company booklet all employees were given to read on their first day. _

_"Moved to a small town for retirement?" He asked conversationally, and she wondered if he was really interested or just keeping up the dinner conversation. They'd made a pact not to talk about work, and apparently she was the chosen topic of the evening. _

_"Not really, they retired when I graduated highschool. Packed up an RV and toured the states." _

_"Oh, right, I remember you saying something about that." His eyes twinkled in teasing amusement and she was torn between the urge to slink under the table and disappear, or to reach across it and smack the smugness of his face . _

_"You know I'm starting to think you just read my diary or something. My memory of that night is pretty hazy...shocking no?" He shook his head in a silent chuckle, her deep blush belying her playful throw away comments. "Because you seem to have a smirk, chuckle, or comment for everything I say." _

_ "Maybe you're just amusing in general." _

_"I'm not sure how to take that." She focussed back on her meal, picking at it, trying to deny the sinking feeling that started in her stomach. When people told her they were amused by her it was generally followed by a pat on the head and a comment about how klutzy she could be. He'd already had first hand experience of flustered bumbling idiot Haley but she'd really been trying hard to replace that with smart, organised, together, reliable Haley. _

_He looked confused at the way she seemed to clam up. They were slowly developing an ease around each other. She'd dropped the insisted Mr Scott about a day and a half into working with him, and they'd started to broach beyond the subject of work in their conversations as they worked together. In the past couple of days they'd even been comfortable enough in some moments to tease and joke a little. It was strange for him, he never usually felt comfortable around people he didn't know, especially women. He didn't know if it was the fact that their initial encounter embarrassed her so, giving him a slight upper hand in their interaction or just the way she was, but he was beginning to enjoy just talking to her. "So, your parents have moved to Tree Hill?" _

_She cringed. It sounded so forced, and she knew she had been the one to stilt the conversation. She bit back a groan of frustration, that really wasn't what she'd wanted to happen. She was beginning to enjoy his company, and that morning had found herself looking forward to going to work for the first time in a long time. She was finally feeling challenged, and appreciated. She went home to someone who cared about her day instead of just their own, and she actually had something to tell them other than that she'd spent the day at her computer proof-reading for someone even who she with all her self-deprecating tendencies knew she was twice as talented as. "Yeah, I guess they decided they were ready to settle down again." _

_"What do you think?" He followed up, wanting to keep up the flow of the conversation. Having dinner with her was definitely more enjoyable that the microwave dinner that he would have nuked himself at home, and it helped that this burger was really good. _

_"Of them settling down?" She tried to shake off her insecurities and stop wondering what he was thinking of her, and just take him at face value. At the end of the day it didn't matter. He was her boss, as long as she did a good job, and acted professionally when she was there it really shouldn't matter what he thought he knew about her. _

_"No, of Tree Hill." _

_"Oh, well, it seems nice," Should be a safe subject. "I have seen much more than their neighbourhood, and uh, trip?" _

_"Tric." He laughed. _

_"Right, Tric." Or maybe not. She tucked a stray strand that fallen free from her bun behind her ear self-consciously _

_"You didn't drive home that night did you?" She smiled, slightly taken aback by how nice it felt that he seemed to genuinely care, maybe there was a chance for friendship out of this working relationship after all. He definitely wasn't what she'd been expecting. _

_"Oh, lord, no." She fanned her hand dismissively as she took a sip of her water. _

_"Good." He nodded grateful at how she seemed to have relaxed again. " I almost followed you out to check after you practically fell into my lap standing up." _

_"Urgh, I did not." She said indignantly, adamant she'd done no such thing as she racked her fuzzy memory. _

_"Oh yes you did." He barely paused to wonder if it was appropriate before he teased. "You know I think it was on purpose." _

_"What?!" For the second time that night her fork stopped midair. _

_"It was right after I'd turned down your offer to take me home so..." He was fighting the urge to laugh as he watched the deer in headlights look appear on her face. _

_"I did NOT offer to take you home!" Did she? No, she couldn't have. Then again, he is an attractive man and she had been feeling kind of insecure from Jake's revelation that he'd been cheating on her. No, no way, Anyway, she'd be staying at her parents... "Did I?" _

_"No, Haley, you didn't hit on me." He shook his head amused as he let her off the hook, worried he might push too far out his bounds and she'd go back to shooting him one word answers at work the next day. Still, it was Interesting that she'd thought it was a possibility. _

_"Of course not." She nodded smugly. Of course she hadn't. She wasn't like that, and the fact that she thought she may have done it meant she really needed to start spending time with people other than Brooke. Oh she loved her best friend but there was no way she was going to become her. _

_"How did you get home?" _

_"I called a cab, and then had a little game of hide and go seek with my car in the morning." She let out a little puffed laugh at the end of her sentence and they shared a smile across the table. _

_"Did it take you long?" _

_"Not really, it's a small town." Not to mention she'd found a matchbook for the club in her jacket pocket twenty minutes into said search, but there was always the chance he'd ask how she'd ended up with a matchbook seen as the club was non-smoking and she'd have to admit she had no idea, and he already had enough Haley's an alcoholic fuel as it was. _

"Oh," She nodded "good."

"Really?" He asked surprised. Not sure in what scenario telling your sister her fiancée had come on to you could go well.

"Well, not good exactly. But I didn't have to tell her." The waitress interrupted to take their orders, and he nodded for Haley to continue one she'd left. "I didn't have a chance to open my mouth before she started in about how the scum was long gone. Apparently he also hit on our cousin Mandy that day, and she was pissed off enough about that to break up with him. I decided not to rub the he also hit on your sister salt in the wound. As long as she's rid of him that's all that matters."

"Good riddance." He answered, taking a mouthful of his drink and she smiled. It was really nice how he seemed genuinely interested and to care about how things were going in her life. She never would have figured they'd have this kind of relationship when they started working together, but she definitely wasn't complaining. "So is she really cut up over it all?"

"Not really. I mean she's upset, but she seems more angry than anything right now. Wants us to go out on man hating drink binges and party our way around the state."

"I can't see that somehow." He laughed, and she gave him a fake look of offence.

"And why not!"

"Well, are you going to do it?"

"Heck no, I sent her off in Taylor's direction. That's much more her speed. I'll stick to being the sensible one."

"The sensible one who gets drunk and rants to strangers in bars." He smirked that infuriating teasing smirk and she held up a finger.

"One time, Nathan Scott, One time. And I was unlucky enough to bump into you. You're never going to let go of that one are you?"

"Not a chance." He laughed, and she smiled back. She also never figured she'd be comfortable with him teasing her about her one night of solo inebriation but although she was still embarrassed as hell at some of things she'd said she didn't mind it now they were friends. It was kind of nice to have a friend who didn't see her as perfect little Haley James.

----

"Honey, I'm home!" Haley called, closing the apartment door behind her unsure if Brooke would even be home.

"Hi" The brunette looked up from where she was sprawled over the couch. "You're home late."

Laughing at Brooke's wiggling eyebrows Haley nudged the girls feet to make room for herself. "We were getting something to eat."

"You're eating out an awful lot Haley-Baley. What about me huh? No time for wifey anymore."

Did Brooke just refer to herself as her wife?

"What?" Haley questioned, grabbing the ice-cream carton out of Brooke's hands and feeding herself some.

"Yep, that's me, poor neglected wifey waiting for you to get home from work, watching the clock tick by as it just gets later and later."

"Were you really waiting for me to get home?" Haley asked concerned. She was embarrassed to admit she hadn't thought once of Brooke sitting home alone while she worked late and then went off to dinner. When she'd lived with Jake she'd always been the one sat home alone of an evening, it didn't occur to her that her social butterfly friend would be doing the same for her.

"Don't be stupid." Brooke cackled, taking the opportunity to grab the carton back during Haley's moment of contemplation. "Carl just left."

"Eww, please tell me I'm not going to stand to realise I was sitting on a wet spot." Haley cringed at the thought, she tried to convince herself that Brooke's sexual activities in their apartment was confined to the girls bedroom, but the knowing look on her friends face told her otherwise.

Throwing her head back in laughter Brooke shook her head, "I can't believe you just said that. Now I'm sure eating out is code for sex, my not-so-innocent-tutor-girl"

"Oh my gosh, Brooke, please, I'm not sleeping with him, and I'm getting really annoyed at people saying I am." She stabbed her spoon furiously into the ice cream. They were not sleeping together!

"Whoa, okay, violent." Standing up Brooke took the ice cream from Haley and turned toward the kitchen. "If you're not sleeping with him you so should be, least of all because he's hot as holy hell, and most of all so I don't have to worry about you stabbing me in my sleep because you're so wound out."

"Whatever." Slipping out of her shoes the auburn beauty practically purred as she stretched out on the couch.

"And talking of men you've slept with – slash – should sleep with..."

Well that could only mean one person.

"Yes?"

"Jake called me back, he'll be at the apartment tomorrow after eight, we can go get your stuff then." Brooke told her with a cautious tone.

"We?"

"Yeah, of course we," Sitting on the floor next to Haley's stretched out form Brooke rested her back in the curve of Haley's waist. "C'mon Hales, I'm not going to let you go by yourself."

"Thanks Brookie." She patted the taller girls hair, getting a tongue poked out at her in return.

"You're welcome – now, if you're not going to sleep with boss man – Can I?"

_"I just want to pick up my things, Jake, you can't be home for a half an hour?" Haley sat down on the edge of the desk, bringing her free hand up into her hair and tugging at it in frustration. "No, Jake, I want you to be there, not my replacement." She repressed the urge to end the call when she was reprimanded her choice of words, "I'll call her whatever the hell I want to Jacob, and don't you try and get all high and mighty with me you were the one screwing someone else behind my back!" _

_She was about let out a string of abuse in reference to another ridiculous comment that had come out of her ex boyfriend's mouth when the door to the office opened and Nathan strolled in, chewing obnoxiously loudly on a cream cheese bagel. Startled she dropped the phone, alerting him to her presence and his forehead scrunched in confusion as she fumbled to pick up her phone. "I have to go, I'll call you later. No. I really have to go now." _

_"I'm not snooping I swear!" She'd thought he'd had meetings all morning, she'd checked his scheduled twice before taking the spare key for his office which was in her top desk drawer, and letting herself in, loudly calling out to no one in particular that he'd just called and asked her to look for some papers, knowing anyone who saw her go in would wonder why. She'd just a needed a place to call and talk to Jake, he'd sent her an email, one that infuriated her to no end, telling her if she wanted to speak he had a free twenty minutes between 10.40 and 11 so to call him then. She'd planned on going out on a coffee run, but it was pouring outside and she'd kicked up enough fusses about going out in the rain making her hair frizz out, that offering to go out in the downpour would cause more than a few questions. "What happened to your meeting?" _

_"The guy cancelled." He said simply, taking off his wet jacket and hanging it on the hook by the door. He hadn't thought she was snooping, but how flustered she was made him wonder what exactly she had been doing. "What are you doing in here, Haley?" _

_"Oh, I" She let out a shuddering breath, tears she hadn't known she was holding back filling her eyes. Damn that man. Damn that man and the stupid slutty whore who was probably fingering her way through Haley's things right this minute. She'd already shown she had no respect for what belonged to her. _

_"Whoa," He walked over, placing what he hoped was a comforting hand on her shoulder, and patting it awkwardly, he really didn't know what to do when women cried, and he was pretty sure that's exactly what Haley would be doing any second now. "Are you okay?" _

_"Yeah." Haley squeaked, cursing herself as she wondered if that squeak was more embarrassing than the tears it was holding back. "I'm fine." _

_"I don't know Haley, most people don't cry when they're fine." _

_"I am not crying! I'm fine." She insisted, moving away from the warmth of his touch which was not helping her in trying to pull herself together. _

_"If you say so." He moved away, walking around the desk to sit down in his chair, eyeing her warily the entire time, hoping the tears that shone in her big brown eyes didn't start to fall. _

_"He's just so clueless." She spat out, glaring at her phone which buzzed in her hand before shoving it into the pocket of her tailored black pants. _

_"Who?" _

_"My ex-boyfriend." _

_"Is that who was on the phone." He asked cautiously, not knowing what to say. _

_"He gives me a freaking 20minute window all week to call him and then when I do he's not got the time to speak to me. All I want to do is go and pick up my things, I'm fed up of living out of bags and realising I don't have something I need every day." Her hands were moving around frantically, gesticulating as she spoke, and he couldn't help but be taken back to the bar in tree hill as he watched. The smile that was tugging at his lips immediately fell when a tear ran down her cheek, more quickly following. "and now he's saying he can't be there when I go and pick up my stuff, but she will be, I don't want to meet her. I hate her." _

_"Who?" He asked, squirming uncomfortably in his seat, he wanted to make her feel better but at the same time he really, really wanted to leave. _

_"Nikki," She spat the name out, sniffing a little, before she continued. "The woman he left me for." _

_"Oh." He did actually kind of remember her saying something about a boyfriend who'd cheated on her, a small smile started to form on his face as it always did when he remembered their first encounter but he figured it wasn't the time to tease her about her drunken ramblings. _

_"And it's not even like I'm all that upset that we broke up, I mean it's strange and it's different, but I guess it was time, but I hate the fact that when we were together he needed someone else. And Oh god do I hate that this someone else would be there, sitting on the sofa I picked out watching me collecting my things, offering me a drink in the kitchen I spent hours decorating. I shouldn't have to see her. I shouldn't have to be on the receiving end of what I know are going to be smug hahaha he picked me looks." She wasn't really crying now, as much as her voice sounded tearful and she was sniffling from time to time. _

_"Do you, uh, want him back?" The way her eyes turned ablaze toward him he guessed that wasn't the right thing to say. Well, how was he supposed to know? This sounded like girl talk, and he really wasn't comfortable with girl talk. He tried to look out of the slightly turned blinds to see if he could see that pregnant girl Haley was always talking to anywhere, Beth or something he thinks her names is. She would be a much better person to be having this conversation with. _

_"No, Nathan, I do not want his cheating scum self back." Well, Good, he was tempted to say but decided better to just keep his mouth shut. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" _

_Damn, he'd hoped his facial expression hadn't changed, but it had just clicked that this boyfriend she was talking to about had to be the one who'd never given her an orgasm. Oh, he definitely remembered that part of their conversation. It had been on the tip of his tongue so many times to ask her how that was even possible, but he was pretty sure she'd slap him, or sue him for sexual harassment if he did. Or Both. _

_"Sorry, I just don't really know what to say." He settled on saying instead. _

_"Oh God. " It clicked just then exactly where she was, who she was talking to, shrugging off the sense of deja vu she pulled herself up off his desk, smoothing down her skirt and swatting at her eyes. "I am sooo sorry, I don't know why I keep doing this around you." _

_"Haley,, it's okay." He stood up putting his hand strongly on her shoulder to hold her in place as she fumbled to put the stapler she'd knocked over back where it had been on the desk. _

_"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have used your office for a personal call, but I didn't think you'd mind seen as you had meetings all day, and I swear I wasn't looking through your things." _

_"I didn't think you were." He told her, and her eyes softened in their pleading. _

_"I'll just go now." She thumbed in the direction of the door and ran a hand over her face hoping it would do something about the tear tracks. _

_"Haley, I can't let you go out there looking like that. It'd be like throwing you to the wolves – Wolves who'd probably think I had something to do with you crying." _

_"Yeah, they'll probably think it was a lovers tiff." She joked, sighing dejectedly when her search of her pockets for a tissue turned up empty. _

_"Here, I think I have some Kleenex around here somewhere." She gave him an odd look as he went about searching his drawers. "What?" _

_"For some reason it just doesn't seem to fit that you'd have Kleenex in your office..." _

_"They were part of a care package from my Mom. Things she figured I'd need in here that I'd never buy myself." He shrugged, he probably wouldn't have had them if it wasn't for that. _

_"Aww, that's sweet." _

_"Yeah, sweet." He scoffed, as he passed her the tissue and she smiled softly in thanks. _

_"No, really, she sounds like a good Mom." _

_"The best." He agreed, as he realised something he hadn't before. "You know, you kind of remind me of her." _

_"I do?" She looked surprised, unsure of how to take it. "Is that a good thing?" _

_"The best." He mimicked, and she rewarded him with a dazzling smile, her eyes twinkling but this time there were no tears causing the shine. _

_"I'm really sorry Nathan." She said once she had composed herself completely. "I don't know why I keep doing this rambling thing to you." _

_"It's okay." He answered, despite the fact he had felt a little uncomfortable about the whole thing he wouldn't want her to feel like she had to bottle it all up. "Don't worry about it. Are things going to be okay between you and your ex?" _

_"Oh yeah, I'll get Brooke to call or go round or something, she has the ability to scare the bejesus out of most men, and Jake's no exception." She laughed, breathing deeply once more as she looked out of the window. "I think I'll make a run for the bathroom to fix my face while Darla's not at her desk. If anyone would notice it would be her. Thank you, again, Nathan, you're a really nice guy you know?" _

_"Thanks. I guess." He purposely avoided looking at her and pulled up some random document on the screen so she wouldn't be able to see just how pleased he was with the sentiment, not looking up again until she'd closed the door behind her. _

-----

"Uncle Nathan!" He'd barely stepped through the back door when the little girl bounded up to him, not disappointed when she was swept up into his arms as always.

"Anna-banana shouldn't you be in bed." He asked the curly blonde haired five year old who giggled loudly as her uncle tipped her upside down.

"Yes, she should, and I swear to god Nathan Scott, you rile her up anymore than she already is and I'll do something I'm not comfortable saying in front of my child." Putting down the little girl who ran out of the room calling to her dad that his brother was here, Nathan threw a sheepish smile at his sister in law.

"Ah, now, come on Peyton, is that anyway to greet your favourite brother in law?"

"You're my only brother in law." She spoke against his chest when she was smushed against it in a hug. "You're in a good mood."

"Good day." He answered with a shrug, nodding when she held up a coffee mug in offer. "Where's my brother?"

"Hopefully putting the monster back to bed. It's like she can smell you coming Nate."

"Are you saying I smell?"

"No," The blonde laughed, passing him the now full cup, "She woke up fifteen minutes ago determined she wasn't tired anymore and wanted to play. How she has so much energy I'm never going to know."

"What's up, Peyton? Can't keep up with the kids after hitting the big 3-0 last week."

"I'm going to pretend you never said that because Anna would be heartbroken if I killed her uncle."

"You're going to kill Uncle Nathan!" The child's blue green eyes were wide with worry and Peyton glared over at Nathan who held his hands up innocence – that so wasn't his fault!

"No Sweetie, don't be silly." She took the child from her father's arm as he greeted his brother. "Now why are you down here, you're supposed to be in bed."

"But Uncle Nathan's here! Did you bring me candy Uncle Nathan?"

"Sorry babe, it was either bring her back down or she'd run around up there and wake Dylan up too." Lucas said with an apologetic smile in his wife's direction.

"No kiddo, I didn't." Nathan answered, trying not to laugh as the little girl proceeded to let out a huff of disappointment and cross her arms pouting. He reached over and tugged on one of her blonde curls but she just continued to glare.

"You don't come to dinner no more, Uncle Nathan. You never bring me anything."

"Ah, now, pretty girl, don't tell me you only love me for my candy." He teased her tickling her until she squirmed, giggly loudly in her mother's arm, who shot him daggers for working her up more.

"She's right, man, where've you been. We haven't spent half as much on groceries this month." Lucas addressed his brother, stroking his hand over his daughters head as she lay it heavily on his wife's shoulder.

"I've been having dinner with Haley a lot." He said not realising how it would sound as he leafed through a newspaper that had been left on the side.

"Who's Haley?" Peyton questioned her husband at the same time he questioned his brother.

"Haley James?"

"Who's Haley James?" The woman looked from one brother to the other confused.

"Yeah!" Anna piped up, her voice energetic despite her eyelids clearer getting heavier. "Who's Haley. Is she your giiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrlllllfrrriend, Uncle Nathan?"

"Girlfriend – what do you know about girlfriends Missy!" Nathan tore the child from his sister in laws arms, and throwing her up into the air making her shriek.

"Nathan Scott, I swear to god!" Taking the child away from her uncle, Peyton looked over at Lucas , silently pleading he do something about his infuriating brother. "C'mon you, back to bed."

"But Momma!" The child whined predictably.

"But Momma nothing – it's nearly 10 O clock Anna Karen!"

"10 o clock – Woah! That's late! See how late I'm up Uncle Nathan?!"

"Yeah Banana, I see, but I think your Mom's right, you need to go back to bed, Kid."

"Fine!" She huffed, kissing her dad and uncle goodnight before she was taken back to her room.

"You're in trouble when that one gets older." He joked turning back to his brother who was looking at him oddly. "What?"

"What's going on between you and Haley James?"

_"God, Darla if she's told you once she's told you a million times, there's nothing going on." Bevin's voice rang out of the kitchen, as Nathan rounded the corner. "Stop making up lies." _

_"They're not lies, Bevin, I saw them eating dinner looking all loved up the other night when my boyfriend took me out for our anniversary." An audible groan was heard from the other occupants of the room. If they had to hear one more thing about her bloody anniversary! _

_"We didn't look loved up, we'd worked late so we went to get something to eat!" He was surprised when he heard Haley's voice join in the conversation. He'd expected it to be going on behind her back. Well, he guessed the, he, is him. _

_"Yeah I'll bet," _

_"You're just jealous." Bevin defended, despite Haley shaking her head and putting a halting hand on her pregnant friends arm. _

_"If what I think's going on, is going on, hell yes I am." Darla responded, and from his view point Nathan could now see Haley thump her head against the table she was sat at. _

_"Nothing is going on!" _

_"You're getting awfully flustered there Haley." _

_"I'm not flustered, I'm pissed off." Haley ground out from between her clenched teeth looking like she was about to jump up and pounce on the taller women. He wondered if his going in there would help things for her or just make them worse. _

_"So touché." _

_"I'll show you touché." She muttered under her breath, he wasn't sure how he heard it and Darla seemed not to be but he had to cough to cover his laugh when someone walked past him. _

_"Afternoon." Nathan nodded his head as the older gentleman returned his greeting before walking past, and he turned his attention back to the kitchenette. _

_"Really Haley, I never thought you had it in you." _

_"She doesn't." Bevin answered, and he could tell by the look that crossed Haley's face that she wasn't sure if that was a compliment or an insult. He paused in his spying to wonder how exactly he'd come to know her well enough to know that. _

_"Look, Darla." Haley pushed back from the table and stood up from her chair. "I'm not sleeping with Nathan Scott, Lucas Scott, or even Dan Scott. Just because you don't have the ability to get a step up in this job just by the merit of your work doesn't mean I don't. You're jealous. Just like Bevin said. Stop projecting your stupid fantasy onto me and start worrying more about why you weren't offered the job in the first place. You're right, you have been here longer than me, in fact you've been in this office longer anybody else on our level, and this is exactly the reason why. You never look at yourself for why you got looked over – again - You just make up pathetic reasons why the other person was chosen. If Nathan – yes I called him Nathan, not Mr. Scott Oooh we must be sleeping together," She rolled her eyes before continuing, "If Nathan was looking for a fuck buddy instead of an assistant he probably would have chose you instead of me, because as much as you gossip about everybody else, everyone else talks about how easily you spread your legs for anyone who asks. And stop talking about your freakin' anniversary okay, a year means nothing if you've been sleeping around on him the whole time." _

_She turned and walked out of the room so quickly he didn't have time to move from his position just outside. Instead of spluttering embarrassedly like he'd of expect her to she shook her head, letting out an angry huff. "I really wish people would stop saying we're sleeping together. It's been a month surely something more interesting has happened by now! Something that's ACTUALLY HAPPENING!" _

_He watched as she stormed off down the hall back to their offices, the angry sway of her hips he'd previously seen his first day of work not escaping his attention. Miss Haley James was definitely full of surprises, and surprising enough to him in it's own right, he found himself looking forward to the next one. _

"Shit man, not you too. There's nothing going on. She stayed late to help me out with some things so I took her to get something to eat." He shook his head. Lucas of all people – he knew how serious he was about this job!

"Well, that's not what I hear. I hear you guys have been going out to eat a lot. People are talking Nathan."

"God, so let them." He put down the coffee and went to the fridge. A beer was definitely more appropriate for this conversation. "She's just doing her job, Luke. We're both just doing our job."

"She's an attractive woman, Nate."

"Who is?" Peyton asked curiously, walking back into her kitchen – sans child.

"Haley James." Lucas filled in, not taking his eyes off his brother.

"Who's Haley James?" Peyton questioned for the second time that night.

"She's been working as Nathan's assistant. You met her at the Christmas party last year. You'd know her to see her."

"Oh – So is there something going on between you two?"

"No! God, we're friends, we work together."

"You're friends?" Lucas' tone wasn't missed. A minute ago she'd just been someone doing her job well, now they were friends.

"Are you telling me you don't have friends at work, bro, cause I know that's a lie."

"Of course I have friends at work, Nate, but I've never known you to be just friends with a pretty girl."

"You're sounding like Dad when I asked if I could have her work with me instead of Darla Turner.

"You asked for her to work with you?"

"Look, Luke, she's a nice girl and all, but it's just work alright? I'm gonna go home."

"Nate, c'mon..." Peyton tried to diffuse the situation but the tall man just shook his head, leaning over and kissing her cheek.

"It's getting late, I should get home. I'll stop by in the next couple of days."

"You believe him?" Peyton asked her husband as the door clicked shut.

"I don't know, but Dad's not going to be happy if there's more going on than he's letting on."

"Just give him the benefit of the doubt baby." She placated, hearing Nathan's car roar out of the driveway.

"She's really pretty Peyton."

"Okay now I'm starting to get jealous." She joked, laughing when he swept her up into his arm, pressing his lips to hers and keeping them there as he spoke.

"Not nearly as pretty as you my darling!"


	6. Chapter 5

**So, I would like to start off by apologising.. but I think we're so past apologies and excuses. I realise it's been forever, and you probably don't even remember story but I have had the worst case of writers block, initially on this story and then just period! So, yes, I'm sorry, and yes I completely if that means nothing at this point!**

**I have to thank everyone who's listened to me rant and rave over my ability the past few months, I love you all, and I apologise for all those times you surely wanted to strangle me!**

**Big huge, can't put into word thanks to Lori(_lorilozz_), for her support and hand holding, and then beta-ing so I could post this before I headed to work and decided there was a million more things I wanted to change! Feel better!!**

**So if you could all turn your attention away from the flying pigs outside of the window the much too late update awaits you! **

* * *

"Mr Scott?"

He looked up from the papers he'd been looking over, a smirk tugging at his lips as he took her in as she stood in the doorway, his gaze moving up from her heeled feet, and travelling the length of her hold ups – he just knew they were hold ups - taking in the fitted black skirt that clung to her thighs and he knew if she turned he'd see it hugged her behind enticingly, she shifted on her feet and he fought the urge to choke, he'd been right, they were hold ups, the lace trim of which was now poking out of the dangerously high slit in the material. Forcing himself to look up further, he didn't make it to her face as he focussed on the way her fitted while shirt strained against her full breasts.

"Mr Scott..." She repeated a teasing lilt to her voice, and he finally focussed on her face and the smirk of her own that graced her full lips. Her large hypnotising eyes questioned him from behind her glasses, and he shrugged unashamed as he crooked his finger and motioned for her to come further into the office.

"Since when do you call me Mr Scott, again?" He asked.

She gave a coy shrug, sitting down in the chair opposite him, she could feel his gaze on her as crossed her legs, and boy did it make her heat race, trying to appear innocent she reached down to scratch her knee, pushing her skirt further up her thigh in the process, her body heating as his eyes followed the movement.

"Well_, Miss James,_" He teased, "What can I help you with..."

He tried to listen what she was saying, he really did, but he couldn't stop watching her, the way her mouth moved, the way the buttons on her shirt threatened to burst open as she took a breath in her speech, the way her skirt rose higher as she shifted positions. She smiled at him, a wide, innocent, warm smile that somehow managed to both clash and mesh with the sex filled image she'd been portraying since she'd walked inside. Or at least the lust fuelled way he'd been viewing her.

She got up to leave, placing the papers on his desk. "...Just let me know when you're done."

She'd barely made it a few steps from his desk when he stood up himself. Grabbing her arm and spinning her around toward him, not giving her a chance to think before he pressed his lips against hers. They were just as soft as he'd thought – as he'd dreamed, and he lifted her body flush against his as he felt her melt into the kiss.

Half the buttons on her shirt were undone by the time he reached his desk, harnessing her lithe body against his with one arm he swept the contents clear before laying her back against it, his hands popping the front clasp of her bra, them both groaning as he massaged a handful of breast. She tore her lips from his, throwing her head back, her breath coming out in heavy pants.

He watched, enthralled as she shook loose her hair, curls tumbling over her shoulders and down her back, her glasses flung against the room as he eagerly ran his hands through her soft thick hair pulling her lips back to his. He shifted his weight, pushing her body further down into the wood, lifting a knee to settle himself onto the desk to straddle her body, slowly, blindingly search the air.

"FUCK!" Nathan groaned, startled into waking as he fell off the side of his bed, rubbing his knee which he'd caught on bedside table. "FUCK. SHIT. FUCK!"

"I really need to get laid." He mumbled, pulling himself out of bed, and into to the shower standing under the cold stream shaking his head, trying to clear the image from his brain. He'd been having the same dream, or variations of the same dream for two weeks now. Haley in his office, Haley in his car, Haley bent over the bar at Tric... Oh who was he kidding he'd been having dreams about Haley since the first night he meet her. In fact the only time he'd actually had sex in his dream with Haley had been that night, long before they became friends, it seems now that even his subconscious won't allow him to cross that line with his assistant.

"Good Morning." Haley beamed cheerfully, placing a mug of coffee on his desk as she put some files down on his desk, "I finished up that research you were talking about last night, American Idol was on my favourite contestant got voted off last week so I'm boycotting it now, but there's only one TV in my apartment and my roommate was watching it – out of spite I think, may I add, because she always used to complain when I sang along and said she hated reality TV, well except Project Runway, she loves that, and I keep telling her she should enter, but she says when I audition for American Idol she'll go on Project runway, and..." She bit her lip, blushing and letting out a small laugh. "I'm sorry I'm rambling. Anyway I had some free time so I thought I'd finish these up, less work for us over the weekend right?"

The smile that had appeared of his own accord on his lips as babbled on fell as he focussed on her face. "Am I awake?"

"What?" Her brow wrinkled, and she tipped her head to the side slightly in confusion at his mumblings.

"You're uh," He shook his head, certain that he must awake, she was dressed far too demurely for one of his dreams, but there was something.. "You're wearing glasses."

"Oh." She blushed again and grinned bashfully. "I tore my last contact lens. Just my luck, right? So unless I wanted the 80 chance that I'd trip and fall on my ass today to be a 100 I thought it was best I wear these."

They were black rimmed, fashionable glasses, not the old school porno-secretary pair he'd dreamt of her in, but it was a reminder none the less, and he had to resist the urge to crane his neck to stare at her ass when she mentioned it. This was not good. He'd promised Lucas he and Haley were just friends, and no matter how attracted he was to her, he couldn't risk starting something.

"Are you okay?" She asked, genuine looking concerned at the way he hadn't said a word since asking her about her glasses. "What, do I look hideously unattractive in them or something? Am I going to distract you from you work with my ugly?"

"Not at all," He took a deep breath, trying to focus on here and now, and not the way her breasts had felt beneath his hands a couple of hours before hand. Not that he was actually feeling he had to remind himself. "Quite the opposite."

She laughed, shaking her head and pointing a finger at him. "You, Nathan Scott, are quite the flirt. Anyone ever tell you that."

"Only with you Haley."

"Oh, I'm well aware that's not the case." She sat down, picking up a pen from the desk and twirling around her fingers. "In fact I heard an interesting story about you and McKenna Dalton from the teen mag down the hall when I went to ask if any had toner we could use yesterday."

"Uh," He loosened his tie, suddenly feeling the air heat up a few degrees, clearing his throat uncomfortably. "That was a long time ago, and it was one night."

"And that makes it better?" Her voice was playful but he knew her well enough by now that she wouldn't consider a one night over a relationship to be a better thing. "Don't worry, she's only saying good things."

"What else would she have to say." She watched as he cockily kicked his feet up onto the desk, leaning back into clasped hands and smirking at her.

"Ookkay." Laughing she pushed up out of her seat. "I think I'm going to leave before I suffocate on your ego, or you offer me the chance to find out for myself. I told you Nathan, one of these days being a big flirt is going to get you into trouble. One of these days I might take you up on it, and isn't that a scary prospect."

The words oh my god formed soundlessly on Haley's lips as she walked out of the door. She had not just said that, there was no way she had just said that. Of course she'd been aware that every now and then her conversations with Nathan veered on the flirty side, but oh my gosh, she'd never been that forward, that overt. It felt kind of good...in a mortifying kind of way. She had eyes and ears, she was well aware every other woman in the office was flirting with him, especially Bevin, who's pregnancy hormones had her looking like she was going pounce and hump his leg as she stared at him practically drooling during meetings, and as she'd just called him out on she knew he was flirting back, but they were friends, she didn't flirt with friends. Who was she kidding she didn't flirt period, and yet she'd just come on to her boss.

"You didn't come on to him." She scolded herself as she sat back at her desk.

"Who didn't come on to who?" Lucas asked starling her out of her inner ramblings.

"Oh, hi Lucas, no one important. How are you?"

"I'm good thanks. My brother's not working you too hard I hope?"

"Oh, not at all." She reached for the bottle of water next to her and took a large gulp trying to calm the redness she just knew had taken over her face. That damn smirk must be ingrained in the DNA or something because she could catch Lucas giving it to her out of the corner of his eye. "But you know, hard enough, I'm not slacking off or anything."

Lucas laughed, amused at how flustered Haley was, and wondering who it was she was talking about that had her face tomato red. "I'd never think anything of the sort, Haley."

"Oh, good. How's your wife," She paused trying to remember the name of the pretty blonde she'd met briefly the previous Christmas. "Peyton right?"

"Yep. She's good. Kids too."

"Oh, good, I'm glad to hear that. Did you want Nathan?" She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the way the words want and Nathan coming out of her mouth caused to face heat further.

"Yeah, if he's not too busy.."

"He just got in, so I'm sure you're fine, why don't you go ahead and knock, I have some photocopying to do so I'll leave you two to your own devices."

"My mother always regretted when she did that." The blonde joked, nodding goodbye to the woman before him and heading to his brother's office.

"You're such a freak, James." She let out a breath of relief and let her head to the desk.

--

"Hello, Hello Working Girl!"

"Did you just call me a prostitute Brooke?" Recovering quickly from being startled by her friend's voice Haley looked up at her friend with a questioning gaze as she put away the work she'd been doing.

"No," The brunette paused pursing her lips a little as she thought back on what she'd just said. "Well, maybe but I didn't mean to. I meant more Melanie Griffith than Julia Roberts I promise."

"Okay then." Shaking her head and laughing Haley continued. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, well, I had a lunch date down the street but I changed my mind so I told him I had mono.."

"You told him you had Mono?"

"I don't know, it was the first thing I thought of, and I figure he's not going to want to go on a date with someone with the kissing disease."

"I guess..." In some strange way her friends logic made sense, but really, whose first thought is Mono?

"Right, anyway, so I thought why waste a good reservation."

"So you're going to eat alone?" That didn't sound like Brooke..

"God, no, and look like a loser? I thought I'd treat my best friend. So, best friend, lunch date?" A child like grin formed on the woman's eager face, and Haley nodded laughing.

"I'm sure I can spare some time. Let me just tell Nathan..."

"Oh yes, hot boss man, how's that going? I've noticed you haven't been –" Brooke raised her fingers and made quotations " 'working late', the past couple of weeks. Lovers tiff?"

"Would you shut up. The rumours about us sleeping together seem to have finally died down and my friend coming and insinuating something will just start them up again, I'm not sleeping with him Brooke, I was never sleeping, and I have no intention of sleeping with him." She kept her voice at a hushed whispered, glancing paranoid around the office trying to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation.

"Shame." Brooke said, leaning back on her heels to peer through Nathan's open door. "He really is fine..."

"Would you stop!" Exasperated Haley stood up, making her way toward Nathan's door and knocking, rolling her eyes when Brooke of course unashamedly followed her inside at the Nathan's call.

"You know I was beginning to think you were avoiding me, I haven't seen you earlier since you threatened to take me up on my off..." He trailed off mid tease as he looked to see it wasn't just Haley who was in his office.

"Oh don't stop on my account. What was it my little Haley threatened to do."

"Nothing – I threatened to nothing." She glared at Nathan, and he found as he had since he met that the flair of anger in her eyes only served to turn him on. "I am not yours Brooke, and I'm no ones little anything.."

At 5'5, and 6'2 respectively Brooke and Nathan let out a burst of laughter. "Oh honey, you're everyone's little something."

"I think you've got me confused with looking in a mirror Brooke." Watching the girls snark back and forth Nathan wondered if a fight was going to break out – and if so if could find a way to convince them to take their shirts off to do it.

"What can I say.." Brooke shrugged, winking at Nathan, "I'm loved."

"Anyway!" She wasn't jealous, she wasn't, she just didn't think it was appropriate for Brooke to be flirting with her boss. She wasn't jealous, now, or the first time they met in the club, or when she heard about Mckenna Dolton... "Brooke came by to take me out for lunch, if you don't need me for a while?"

"Oh, yeah, of course, take as long as you want."

"Don't be silly," Haley held up a hand to stop him, never one to take preferential treatment even when she could see the 'are you crazy' looks Brooke was throwing her. "I'll be back in an hour."

"You're welcome to join us." Brooke jumped in, ignoring the death glares Haley began to throw her. "Maybe we can even convince Haley she's doing some work so she'll stay a bit longer. You need to eat too, right Boss Man?"

"What?" Nathan cocked a brow at the nickname, looking at Haley who just shrugged apologetically, glaring at Brooke and mumbling her breath, and he smiled at how cute she looked.

"Please ignore her, you don't have to come to lunch, and I will be back within the hour." He didn't say anything, instead standing up and grabbing his jacket from the back of the door.

"I get the feeling your friend could kill me with a look, and the only way you're going to stay out any longer than an hour is if I come too, so come on." He told Haley pushing her out of the door, a gleeful Brooke clapping a little behind them. "Besides I'd never turn down a lunch date with two beautiful women."

"Oooh, Tutor Girl, he's smooth," Brooke whispered into Haley's ear as they made their way out of the office, and Haley gave her a tight nervous smile in return. She, the boss, and her mini skirt clad best friend leaving the office together, people were so going to talk about this!!

It was a quarter past the hour and Haley had already hinted that she and Nathan should be getting back to the office twice before excusing herself to the bathroom, leaving Nathan and Brooke alone at the table.

"So.." The young woman gave a knowing smile that Nathan instantly made Nathan feel uneasy. "You like Haley."

"Of course I like Haley, she's a really nice person."

Brooke laughed, "No, you like-like her."

"What is this, middle school?" Nathan asked, eager to change the subject and looking around Brooke in the hopes of seeing Haley's returning figure. He didn't want to be having this conversation with anyone, much less Haley's best friend.

"If I say yes will you let me pass her a note with your names on it in a big pink heart?"

"Brooke, you're crazy."

"And you've spent the past hour hanging on Haley's every word, alternating between looking at her like she's a puppy dog, or she's a steak and you haven't eaten in a month."

"I really don't think this is an appropriate conversation."

"Don't worry." She leant over whispering to him as though she was letting him on a secret. "She likes you too."

He studied her for a moment, intrigued, he'd been pretty sure that Haley was attracted to him as he was her but hearing for her friend was a different matter.

"That kept you quiet didn't it, Mr this isn't appropriate – You fluster her like I've never seen. One minute she's looking like she wants to deck you, and then she's blushing and giggling like we really are in middle school. So, yes, or no. Do you like my best friend?"

"Look, Brooke." Inside his mind was reeling from having his suspicions confirmed, if Haley was as into him as he was her, maybe they could do something about it, I mean there was no official rule about dating within the company, and he'd done a lot of things in the past his father had a done a hell of a lot more than frowned upon...

"Don't worry , you don't have to answer, I know." Brooke winked at him, shifting back into her seat as Haley returned to the table.

She'd watched them from across the room as she left the ladies, they'd been leant across the table their faces almost touching and her stomach knotted uncomfortably. They looked...intimate. They looked like a couple, or at the very least two people highly attracted to each other, and why wouldn't they be. She'd been reluctant to admit that she'd been starting to think that maybe Nathan found her attractive, maybe there was a little bit more to his flirting than just being his nature. She'd never have acted upon but it was a nice feeling, to think that someone that good looking could see that in you. Oh, but who was she kidding, of course it was Brooke he found attractive, and Brooke had made no qualms about letting it be known that she felt the same way about him. As she sat back down at the table she looked from one to the other and noticed that they wouldn't catch her eye. Wonderful she'd interrupted something. Now not only was she a ridiculous presumptuous fool but a cock-blocker too.

"Walk us back to the office, Brooke?" Nathan asked, hoping to find another moment to quiz her on Haley's feelings.

"Sure, and let me get the bill."

"You mean let your mother get the bill." Haley bit out feeling instantly guilty. She gnawed at her lower lip, so much for having smooth lips for once she could already feel the skin shredding. No wonder preferred the idea of kissing Brooke.

"Meow, Tutor Girl. Actually, I just got paid for a dress so it is actually on me for once." She put money down on the bill that had been brought over them, and they all got up and left the restaurant.

"You get paid for your dresses?" Nathan asked confused, all the while watching Haley out of the corner of her eye as she avoided his gaze, seemingly enthralled by the sidewalk.

"My dresses I make. I'm a designer, or at least I'm trying to be."

"Whoa, you must be pretty good if people are paying you."

"She's really good." Haley said quietly, smiling at her friend, it wasn't like it was Brooke fault Nathan wanted her and not Haley, and besides it wasn't like she'd of done anything even if she'd had the chance. He was her boss for Gods sake! She definitely didn't do things like that.

They reached the Scott Publishing building amidst casual conversation between the two brunettes, both of whom were wondering what was making their auburn haired friend so quiet. "I'm just going to pop up and use the little girls room, you wanna show me where it is Haley?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." Reluctantly Nathan let Haley lead Brooke off into the building, knowing he wasn't going to get the chance to quiz Brooke further, and wondering how best to go about testing how right she was without risking scaring Haley off.

"So I know boss man was hot," Brooke spoke up as she was led the maze of hallways. "But you didn't tell me how much of a charmer he was."

"Is he? I hadn't noticed." Feeling guilty all the while Haley tried her best to get Brooke out of the building as soon as possible. Wondering what she could do for the rest of the afternoon that would keep her far away from Nathan, too. "I guess I just don't see him that way."

"You might wanna get your prescription checked on those glasses if that's the case, Hales." Brooke joked, confused at the tight smile Haley gave her in return. Okay so there'd only been Jake before but Haley had never been against a good girl talk before, and she was so clearly crushed out on boss man!

"Right, yeah, I'll look into that. Here's the bathroom, you think you can make your way back out from here?"

"Anyone would think you wanted to see the back of me." When Haley didn't contradict her Brooke's face crumpled sadly. "Okay, well, I guess I'll se you at home."

"Yeah, I'll see you later. Thank you for lunch, Brooke."

"You're welcome.."

Finishing up in the stall Brooke heard the door open and footsteps clattering against the linoleum. "Did you see Haley James leaving the office with Nathan Scott earlier?"

"Well, she is his assistant, maybe it was a work thing?"

"I doubt it, they were accompanied by some girl in a tiny skirt, and fat calves." Brooke mouth dropped open loudly as voice one chimed back in.

"I really don't think anything is going on, besides, I thought he was sleeping with McKenna Dolton."

"No, that was ages ago, before he started working here. Although I did hear a rumour about him and Darla."

"Darla, really?"

"That's what I hear."

"What are you guys talking about?" A third voice joined the duo.

"Nathan Scott."

"Oooh, isn't he having a thing with Hannah Lewis from accounting."

"What? Isn't she married?"

"Apparently she's going to leave him for Nathan, but he's not interested, already moved on to Molly Simons in advertising, Tim Smith introduced them."

Sitting down on the closed toilet Brooke shook her head listening as the conversation carried on listing all Nathan's supposed office conquests. She'd never worked in an office she didn't know how much you could believe of what people gossiped about but she'd been the topic of enough gossip in her life to know there was usually some kind of truth to it, and if there was even a little truth to what she'd just heard it really didn't sound good for Haley.

"Have you been avoiding me?" Nathan asked, coming up behind Haley as she shut off her computer at the end of the day.

"Why, um, why would I be avoiding you?" Of course she'd been avoiding him, she'd spent weeks convincing herself she wasn't into him, and it'd taken watching him flirt with her best friend to make it hit home. A best friend who she now had to go home to, and likely listen to gush over her latest crush.

"Nervous you'll make good on your earlier promise, maybe?" He joked, he'd thought about it and he figured maybe the best way to test Haley boundaries was to just carry on as they had been. See how far she'd take the flirting.

"It wasn't a promise." She wouldn't even look him in the eye as she packed up her things, her voice showing no signs of jest. She had a professional manner about her hadn't seen since the first week they worked together.

"Have I done something wrong, Haley?"

She closed her eyes, breathing deeply. She didn't have any claim to him, she didn't have reason to act like he was in the wrong somehow. It was a stupid crush that never would have amounted to anything, that happened to not be reciprocated. She was much too old to cause a fuss over that. She made a point of looking and him and smiling. "Of course not, Nathan."

"Well, good." He handed her her coat from where it hung next to her desk. "I was thinking, Peyton, Luke's wife, is meeting him and we're going for a drink, you should come."

"Oh, thank you, but I really don't think that's a good idea." She gratefully accepted her coat and slipped it on, and they both made their way out of the building.

"Why not?" He was confused, and she couldn't blame him. They'd been eating dinner together most nights, and now she thought socialising outside of work hours was inappropriate.

"I just, we're colleagues, Nathan,"

"I thought we were friends too." She smiled at him, unable to bring herself to deny him that they had become friends, a friendship that wasn't worth sacrificing over a jealous crush. A crush. She had to keep reminding herself it was just a crush.

"Oh, we are, I didn't mean to suggest otherwise, I just don't think it's right for me to be seen out a bar with my bosses and one of their wives, Thank you for the invite though." She touched his shoulder gently, and he opened his mouth to respond when they were interrupted.

"Shit, Nate man, you invited another chick. Like Lucas' wife wasn't bad enough. How are we supposed to score some primo tail with..." Tim trailed off looking at Haley again, stopping his train of thought and sidling up to her, a leering look in his eye. "Oh, it's you car-girl."

"Car girl?" She questioned bemused.

"Yeah, we were watching you the day Nate started, you were bent over looking for something, you have a fine ass, uh, Ma'am" He added onto the end, wanting his come on to sound less crass, he'd been trying to work on that!

"You were watching me?" Haley asked amused, watching Nathan smack his shorter friend upside the head. It was flattering, in a completely creepy way.

"Like I was saying," Nathan continued, making a mental note to kill Tim later. "Tim's coming too so it won't look like a couple's thing.."

"Really, Nathan, thank you, but I should go home. It was...interesting seeing you again Tim." She waved at them and made across the car park for her car, Nathan watching her confused. This morning she'd been friendly, and flirty, and this afternoon she didn't seem to want to even admit they were friends.

"You okay man?" Tim asked, studying his friend quietly as Nathan watched Haley's form cross the parking lot. "I didn't mean to step on any toes there, I just.."

"You weren't. We're just friends." Nathan replied gruffly walking off in search of his brother, and a bar. He needed a stiff drink, or a willing partner, or both! Anything that would give him hope of not dreaming about Haley James again that night. "Let's get out of here."


	7. Chapter 6

Oh my, my, my. I know it's been forever, and I'm so sorry. I can't even excuse how long it's been. Not with anything you haven't heard me whine on about already! Thank you all so much for your reviews and letting me know you're still interested I really appreciate it! Forgive me?

Thank you to **Lori **(_Lorilozz_) for betaing for me, and the FF girls for letting me know people haven't forgotten about this story! And this chapter is dedicated to **Molly**, she knows why!

* * *

Sighing into the phone Haley adjusted it so it was wedged between her ear and shoulder, and continued to look through the rack of shirts before her. She wasn't looking for anything specific, nothing more than an excuse not to go home if she was really honest with herself.

Ever since she'd suspected a mutual attraction was brewing between Nathan and Brooke she'd found it uncomfortable to be around either of them. It was ridiculous, she knew, to allow herself to get so flustered by it all. As though she were pre-teen with her first crush, the whole situation reminding her of the time she'd fallen head over heels for older sister's boyfriend when she was 11, and then hadn't spoken to Vivian for a week when she'd broken up with him 3 months later, but she couldn't help it. Maybe it was because Nathan was the first person she'd found that attractive in years, the first person since things had soured with Jake that she'd allowed herself to wonder - maybe, sometimes, in the middle of the night when no one else was around and she'd let herself admit that she missed having some beside her to cuddle into – that there might be the chance of something happening. Or maybe it was because it was Brooke, the person she'd transferred all that sisterly, love, admiration, and self esteem issues onto when she'd moved away from home and all her siblings were growing into their own lives. Whatever the reason, no matter how matter how loud the logical side of her brain screamed that it was just a passing crush, and how she reacquainting herself with the idea of not being in a relationship, or how many times Brooke insisted she wasn't interested, and joked that no she did not want Nathan's phone number and Haley should keep it for herself for late night booty calls or dirty conversations, it didn't stop her feeling embarrassed that she'd allowed herself to fall so deeply into the idea that he might actually like her too, or stop her feeling uncomfortable, and maybe even a little hurt around them now.

"I know Mom, I miss you too." She picked up a shirt, holding it against herself and screwing her face up in disgust. It would practically be a dress, and that supposed empire line would barely pass her nipples. Who did they make these things for - Giant prepubescent girls?

Laughing she smiled as she listened to her mother telling her about the things that had happened since they last spoke, sighing sadly at Lydia's last question. "I can't come visit, Mom."

She wanted to, the idea of going home and eating her Mom's home baked chocolate chip cookies, and sleeping in her old bed without the risk of hearing nightly romps through the walls sounded like heaven. But the problem was home for parents, and therefore the place she'd think of as such, was Tree Hill, North Carolina. The place that also happened to be home to Nathan Scott, and just because she was her, and well the universe just sucked she knew she'd bump into him somewhere. It was a small town, so small in fact that she'd bumped into him before she knew him, so of course she'd bump into him now, and he'd probably think she was stalking him, and was obsessed with him, and lose her job and dignity all in one go. Or in a more realistic, somewhat better option, someone from work would hear they'd been in town together and it'd fuel the rumours that she was sleeping with the boss, which were slowly gaining momentum again thanks to their lunch date with Brooke. "Things are just really hectic right now, I'll come visit soon I promise. I love you."

"Secret boyfriend?" Thankful she'd finished the call before she dropped the phone to the floor with shock Haley turned around to the deep, familiar voice. This, this was exactly why she couldn't go to Tree Hill.

"One of many." She joked, giggling nervously when she caught the shop assistants hard glare from across the floor of the department store she'd been passing the time in for the past hour or so, and hastily shoved the too expensive top she hadn't realised she'd been twisting in a tight ball back onto the rack.

"I don't find that hard to believe at all." And there he was flirting again, flirting when he had a thing for her best friend no less, she was torn between feeling offended, and flattered, and kind of stupid and ridiculous at the same time.

"Yeah, that's me, a regular player. Well, I should really be heading back home, I actually did some grocery shopping last night and Brooke might attempt to cook and I really don't feel like coming home to a char-grilled sofa, so I, yeah, bye." Idiot, she chastised as she turned to walk away. She'd been so thankful that he'd been out of the office this past week and she hadn't worry about doing than passing on his phone messages, and she'd had time to plan exactly how she was going to act around him. Not acting like a blabbering fool, and not mention Brooke had been top on her list. Well she'd blown that one.

"Wait, Haley..." He grabbed her arm just as she'd exited the store and pulled her away from the after work throng.

"Was there something you wanted me to tell Brooke?" She groaned out loud as the words left her mouth, no idea why she'd said them. If he wanted to say something to Brooke he was perfectly capable of doing so himself, she certainly didn't want to become their go between, the jealous cupid of this screwed up triangle.

"Your room mate?" He asked perplexed, he'd seized his moment when he'd been walking past the store and saw Haley on her cell phone and despite feeling slightly stalkerish for doing so he'd waited for to finish her call before taking the opportunity to approach. It seemed ever since he'd decided to test the idea that she might feel something too, she'd been doing everything possible to keep their relationship strictly business, gone was the friendly concern, and the flirty interactions, instead she seemed a little short with him, never impolite but definitely short, and like just now when she'd rushed out of the store pretty much as soon as he'd said hi, she'd get any interaction over with as soon as possible. "Why would I want you to tell Brooke something?"

"Oh, I don't know, you both just seemed to get on so well the other week and um.." She played nervously with her pinkie ring trying to think of some way to get of the hole she'd dug herself in she was practically begging him to deign him matchmaker. "I think she said something about your Mom and a dress..."

"Oh." He looked at her, completely confused, but determined to not let this discomfort go on. He'd never made friends easily, not real friends anyway and regardless of how attracted he was, and whether or not she was to him, he was determined to fix this uneasiness that had somehow developed between them. He missed her. "I don't remember that, but if she wants she could give you some stuff to give me, and I'll give them to my Mom."

Well, that was a good sign. He didn't invite Brooke over to meet family.

"Haley, have I done something?" He asked her, and she felt the same way she had the first day she'd suspected he felt something for Brooke, guilty. That she'd let a silly inconsequential lust ridden crush get in the way of what was shaping up to be a really good friendship.

"No, Nathan, of course not. Not at all." She smiled, a beautiful sincere smile that her eyes shining up at him, and her lips parting in a way that made him want to do nothing more than place his own between them and suck on her full lower lip.

"Well then, how would you feel about getting a coffee?" He asked hopefully, he still wanted more than friendship with her but he wanted her to be comfortable around him first, and at the moment she seemed anything but.

"Now?" She had to admit it sounded nice, and maybe she'd just over reacted about the whole thing, maybe there was nothing going on between Nathan and Brooke. Maybe confronting things head on and spending more time with Nathan was best to get over her thing for him, instead of avoiding him completely. He nodded, and she shook her head. "I can't, I actually meant what I said about the chances of Brooke burning down the apartment if she tries to cook."

"Oh." It warmed her heart a little that he seemed as disappointed as she felt.

"But, um," She shifted her purse on her shoulder, and licked at her drying lips. "I know you're not going to be in the office but are you going to the um leaving drinks thing for Louis' tomorrow?"

"Yeah," He nodded, and he couldn't help but grin at the nervous but dazzling smile she returned him with. Maybe all hope wasn't lost that his feelings were reciprocated.

"Okay, well, I am too, so I'll see you there. Bye Nathan." She turned on her heels, waving at him over her shoulder before he could say anything else and he smirked, amused, when she became flustered after bumping into a fellow shopper, and began apologising profusely. It was still a work thing, it was definitely a friend thing and they'd be far from alone, but it was a start.

--

Things had been awkward at first, neither could deny that. Their meeting at the mall the previous evening had made it clear that they both wanted to move on from the awkwardness that had taken over their friendship lately, but they were both still fighting attraction. Haley sure hers wasn't reciprocated. Nathan worried if he as much as complimented her she'd go back to addressing him as Mr. Scott and running away whenever she saw him. It was a wonder what a few drinks could do though, and here they were, a few hours later and still sat in the bar laughing at stories of Tim's latest dating disaster with only a couple of left over colleagues.

"No way, Tim." Haley shook her head, and thinking for not the first time that night that she was surprised by how well she was getting on with the man in front of her. Take away his perverted tendencies and he was actually a pretty decent guy. "No self respecting grown woman would ever say that to you."

"She did!" He swore, "I'll call her."

"God, Tim, don't call her." Nathan laughed, ignoring the look his friend gave him as he slung his arm over the back of the booth and behind Haley's head. "And Hales, remember, this is a woman that slept with Tim, I really don't think she was self respecting."

Tim watched, as Haley slugged Nathan in the side, his best friend feigning pain from this tiny things assault. If he hadn't known better he would have thought Nathan was about to pull the stretch and grope a second ago, and as Nathan looked down at Haley, mocking her for her defending of his honour, Tim knew he hadn't seen that look in his friends eye for a long time. Tonight was actually turning out to be pretty interesting.

"Who wants more drinks?" Before Tim could stand up Haley shoved at Nathan urging him to get out so she could stand up.

"No, it's my turn." Turning to the occupants of the table once she'd stood up she turned down offers of a hand as she double checked it was the same again before heading further into the bar.

"Haley?"

Stopping mid head bop Haley's eyes widened as she came face to face with the person who'd called her name. Damn, he looked good, relaxed. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him look so relaxed, or dressed so casually. Resisting the urge to groan she smoothed her hands down her skirt, there he was looking like the college student she'd fallen for, in his jeans, and his black button down, and she was in a bar at ten o clock still dressed in the clothes she'd worn to work that day.

"Hi Jake."

"I thought it was you, but then I figured it couldn't be." He laughed, that I'm better than you laugh he'd acquired when he started making a name for himself at his accounting firm, and she scowled. Of course he thought it wouldn't be her, because when they were together, she'd have been at home waiting for him to get back, eating her warmed up dinner in front of the TV having finally given up on him coming home so they could eat together.

"Well," Her hand ran through her hair as she looked around for an excuse to leave, silently cursing her height as it stopped her from seeing over all the tall heads around her. "It's me."

"So I see. Woah.." He looked her up and down in a way that both made her stomach flip uncomfortably, and her heart flutter a little at the memories it stirred. "Hales, you look great."

She blinked up at him for a moment, his charming smile beaming down at her and she could feel her cheeks turning pink. This was crazy, she didn't even like Jake as a person much anymore, and she'd been wanting out of that relationship a heck of a long time before it was over. Not to mention he had a girlfriend...He had a girlfriend! "God, you really don't change do you."

"What?" She rolled her eyes at the bewildered look he gave her, a hand resting on her hip as she shook her head in disbelief.

"How do you think your girlfriend would feel if she knew you were stood here telling me how great I look?!"

"Haley I was just.."

"Probably the same way I felt when I found out you'd been paying her compliments while I was sat doing your laundry, and cooking your dinners, and cleaning your apartment!" The hand that wasn't on her hips flew around as she spoke, and he looked on dazed. She couldn't believe that he didn't understand what he'd done wrong!

"Look, Haley, I didn't mean to give you the wrong impression. I just meant you looked well. I wasn't hitting on you. You do look good, but," His voice took a sympathetic tone which made her either want to cry, or puke she wasn't quite sure which. "You know I'm with someone now. You and I.."

"Hi baby." A gravely female voice caused Haley's head to snap up from where she'd became fascinated with the dirty floor, and her mouth dropped open at the sight of a skinny brunette wrapping herself around Jake, scowling in Haley's direction as she looked her up and down.

Haley's mind was screaming at her to turn and walk away, hide so he couldn't rub his new relationship in her face, but for some reason she couldn't look away as she studied the woman before her, trying to work out what made this woman so much better than she was. What made her so special that Jake was willing to risk everything they'd built together on her, and keep her around now Haley was gone?

"Uh, Um, Hi," Haley was somewhat surprised to hear the nervousness in her ex's voice. The way he glanced at Haley out of the side of the way. The fact he actually seemed unnerved by the situation.

"Who's this honey?" Oh she knew well who Haley was, the shorter woman could tell that easily by the daggers that were being shot in her direction.

"Nikki, this is uh, Hales. Hales, this is Nikki."

"Well Hi, Hales." The sugary tone and smirk thrown in her direction had Haley clenching her fists at her side, resisting the urge to reach across and drag the other woman into a girl fight by the roots of her clearly dyed locks.

"It's Hale-lee." She ground out, wishing the ground would open up and swallow her hole, anything to not have to watch Nikki pawing Jake possessively in front of her.

"Right. Of course, Haley." Nikki smirked, her eyes taunting, causing Haley to give a tight lipped smile in return hoping the fuck-you message was as easy to read in her own eyes. "I've heard so much about you."

"I'm sure you have." Bitch. She added silently, twisting her hands uncomfortably before her. She really needed to work on disguising her body language.

"Haley what's taking so long with those..." Nathan's jovial voice broke into the conversation, but stopped short when he took in the scene before him. A man stood uncomfortable looking between Haley and the woman who had her body pressed tightly against his. His arm hanging around her, holding her to him just enough that he was clearly comfortable in doing so, but stiffly enough that he obviously didn't want to be doing so at the time. Haley's body was all but shaking with nervous energy, her hands alternating between twisting at her waist and pulling at her hair. Her jaw moving a mile a minute as she gnawed at her lip.

"Nathan, hi!" She gave him a dazzling smile, never more grateful to see him in her life. "I'm thinking the bar tender keeps looking over my head, you're tall, they'll see you - Come help!"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him off in the direction of the bar, not even thinking to say goodbye to the lovers behind her too desperate to get away. That recently familiar need for a big fat drinks washing over her once again.

"Nathan was it..."

Closing her eyes Haley breathed deeply against the bubbling scream that rose in her at the sound of Jake's voice calling after them as their backs turned. Pasting an apologetic smile that she didn't even bother to pretend was sincere she turned back. "Right, how rude of me. Jake, Nikki, this is Nathan my bo—"

"Boyfriend." Haley's eyes flew up to meet Nathan's, her eye balls near enough falling out of their sockets as he brought their hands that were still clasped from where she'd been dragging him away up to his lips, and kissed hers softly. What the hell was he doing?

"Boyfriend?" Nathan smirked at the jealous tone in the man before hims voice. Congratulating himself on reading the situation right. This was Haley's ex boyfriend, and the woman he'd been having the affair with, and he was clearly jealous to see Haley with another man. Served him right to think she'd moved on. He didn't deserve to know otherwise if he hadn't realised what an amazing woman Haley was in the first place, as far as Nathan was concerned.

"He's not my –"

"Jake never told me you were seeing someone, Haley." As far as Haley was concerned her relationship status, or anything to do with her for that matter, was anything of this Nikki's concern, and god if she didn't stop with that fake nice tone she was going to end up with a fist in her mouth.

"I'm not," She tried to protest again, but it was hard to get her sentences out fast enough when all the while trying to deny to herself that her heart was racing at Nathan's touch.

"..Sure why that's any of your business, Nikki was it?" Oh Haley was so going to kill him when she worked out a way to get away from this situation. What was she supposed to do now? This situation was humiliating enough to begin with, but if she told them now that Nathan wasn't her boyfriend, but in fact her boss, she'd be giving them even more reason to laugh behind her back, the way she imagined they laughed about stupid she was when they were fooling around while she and Jake were together, or she could keep pretending that Nathan was in fact her new boyfriend, and give him and any of the other co-workers that were still milling around this bar watching this snippet of after dinner theatre, reason to make fun of her for the rest of her time with Scott Publishing.

Gripping tightly onto Nathan's hand, making sure to dig her fingernails into his skin as hard as could, she smiled back. "Well, Nikki, it's pretty new, I don't think Jake knew himself."

"No," Haley watched, curious at the mixed emotions that crossed her former lovers face. Did he want her to stay single forever? "I didn't. Even Brooke didn't..."

"Well," Haley joked, shocking herself by how easily she fell into the act now she'd resigned herself to the lie. "Hell must have frozen over. Brooke Davis kept some gossip to herself."

"Yeah..." Jake trailed off, causing Nikki to scowl, the fact his shock was tinged with something akin to disappointment didn't seem to be lost on anyone.

"You know," There was that tone again, the one that was going to have those tackily bedazzled chompers scattered across the sticky bar floor. "You guys could come over to dinner one night. I'd love to show you the changes I made to the place, Haley. It's so much better now than it was before."

Haley's mouth dropped open, and Nathan could see her eyes lighting up as she geared up to respond to the obvious baiting.

"Oh, I don't mean any offence, I know with you and Jake being the career types you didn't have much time for things like decorating."

She was going to kill her, she was going to reach up and wrap her hands around her scrawny little neck. She'd spent months decorating that apartment, hours looking over paint samples, weeks picking out the kitchen tiling. "Just wait a min..."

Her words were cut off once again by Nathan. This time it was his lips landing on hers, and she struggled against the strong hand he had holding her head to his for a moment, before letting all resistance go. Woah, his lips were really soft and...

As soon as her thoughts registered Haley wrenched her lips from his, this whole Nathan's the new boyfriend thing had gone way too far.

"Shush, don't let her see you're upset." He murmured in her ear, using the pretence of pushing away her hair so the others couldn't see.

"Sorry," His voice held no apologetic tone, and he smirked to make his point even clearer as he looked at Jake. "Just can't help it sometimes."

"Isn't he sweet?" Haley said with a sugar sweet tone, giving Nathan a sharp jab in his side when he wrapped his arm around her, and she forced a smile at Nikki and Jake, holding up a finger. "Would you just excuse us for one minute." She glared up at Nathan. "Honey.."

The smack would have resonated loudly if the din of conversation hadn't been so loud when Haley's hand made contact with Nathan's cheek as soon as they'd turned the corner. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

"Jesus Christ, Haley." He rubbed his cheek, shocked at her outburst, and here he thought he was doing her a favour.

"Oh you so have no right to get upset about that! What the hell in that thick skull of yours made you think you could interfere in my business?" She flicked at his skull for effect.

"God, Woman, you're violent tonight!" She glared at him. Calling her woman really wasn't doing him any favours. "You looked like you were about ready to cry or something when I came over; I thought I was helping you out."

"I was so not about to cry." She huffed, leaning back against the wall and crossing her arms in front of her chest defiantly.

"Well you sure looked uncomfortable." Gee, you try to be a nice guy...

"And even if I did look like I was about to cry, which I did not!" She thrust a finger into his chest. "You are my boss, Nathan, not my boyfriend, and had no right to say as much!"

He sighed sadly. "I thought we were passed the whole boss thing."

She moved back again, rubbing at her left temple where she could feel a tension headache brewing. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. Sure we're friends, I really like our friendship but we're not in a relationship, and I don't need you implying as much to my ex boyfriend. You know believe it or not I don't need to fake someone's interest in me, if I wanted to make Jake jealous there are men out there who have an actual interest in me!"

"Trust me, I know there are men interested in you Haley." She studied him for a moment, confused at the change in tone, and the way his shoulders slumped.

"What's that suppose to mean?" She asked defensively, presuming the worst even though she wasn't entirely sure what that was.

"Nothing, Haley, it means nothing." He turned to walk away, but she reached out pulled him back.

"Oh no, we are so not done here." She shouted at him, throwing her hands up in confusion, pacing up and down the small alcove. "And that kiss – what the hell was with that kiss!! It's one thing to swoop in thinking you're coming to my rescue but to kiss me! Anyone could have seen that Nathan, or have you drank so much you've forgotten we're surrounding by people we work with this evening."

"I knew it!" She stopped, blinking at him in shock, and taking a couple of steps away from him as he roared the words at her before laughing loudly. The man had clearly lost his damn mind! "I just knew it."

"Knew what.." She asked cautiously, watching him rub at his jaw, chucking under his breath.

"I just knew you'd be obsessed with what everyone thought. I knew you'd freak out about the fact that we worked together."

"So you planned to come over and kiss me?" She asked confused, he was making no sense at all – and how did this turn into him shouting at her – he was the one who'd gotten her into an awkward situation not the other way around.

He growled, closing the distance between them and trapping her against the wall, her back pressed tightly against the brick as she tried to stretch the little distance his position allowed there to be between them. "No, I didn't plan to kiss you."

"Nathan..." She was shocked to find his eyes darkening as he looked down at her, locking on her own before moving to her lips and back. "Nathan..."

"I kissed you because I wanted to. The boyfriend thing, I don't know it just seemed a good idea, but God, I've wanted to kiss you since that first day we worked together and you refused to call me by my first name..."

"Nathan I really don't think..." She put her hands on his chest lightly, intending to push him away but instead gulping as her heart race at his feel of his taunt muscles her palm, nothing more than a thin shirt between their skins.

"Then don't, don't think. God Haley, I know I can't have been imagining it all, the flirting, the looks. I kissed you because I wanted to, because I needed to." She breathed deeply, her breasts swelling and pushing against his chest as he stood close. "Like I need to now."

The voices in her head were screaming at her to move away from him, to slip out from under his arms and walk out of that bar, but she felt frozen by his stare, and when her tongue darted out to trace her lips of its own accord it was his undoing. Swooping down he pressed his lips to hers, and this time there was no resistance as her lips fell open and her tongue met his tangling and tasting causing both their bodies to heat up.

She groaned into his mouth, the hand that had been pressed against his chest reached and joined by her other wrapped around his neck, pulling her body flush against his. She'd never been kissed like this. A kiss that made her knees melt and her nipples harden, where she could think of nothing more than keeping the kiss going for as long as possible.

He ignored the need for air that was starting to make him feel a little light headed, knowing that if the kiss was to end she'd go back to worrying about who was around, who could see. Focusing on the way she tasted, on the feel of the curves of her body as he ran his hands up her hips and up to the side of her breasts and down again. Determined to make her feel what was feeling, that they were worth giving it a shot regardless.

She tore her lips from his, the lack of air bringing her to her senses as she pushed him away from her, looking frantically around to see if anybody had seen them. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" He asked, confused at what she was apologising for when he was that had forced the kiss on her. "Haley come here.."

"I'm just," She shook her head, taking further steps away from him and shaking her head regretfully. "I'm sorry. That shouldn't have happened. We… I… I'm really, really sorry."

He let out a growl of frustration as he watched her turn, running up the steps of the bar without as much as a look at him over her shoulder. Slamming his fist against the wall he ignored the pain that shot through him as brick tore skin. "Well done, Scott, force yourself on the girl. Idiot!"


	8. Chapter 7

I could make up excuses, I could apologise, but I think we're beyond that now lol I will however say that I have reworked this story to make it finish in fewer chapters than was intended so hopefully I will manage to finish it. I actually enjoyed writing this chapter which I haven't really done in a while (hence my not being around!) so hopefully it is the beginning of a turn and I can follow throw with the new plan I have worked out!

Thank you so much for your continued support, I really appreciate it and I hope that it might be at least semi-worth the wait.

Thank to Lori (**Lorilozz**) for her help and beta-ing, you're the best and it just proves that you're my muse because I never seem to be able to write without and I miss when we wrote together all the time! ( I know *puke* but she IS the best!)

Oh, also I'm sorry if the Taylor Haley relationship in this story doesn't seem in character to you I'm sorry for that. I always thought Taylor would grow up into a better version of type of girl she was, and I know the show didn't go that way but to be honest with you I don't watch the show anymore, and show-Taylor doesn't work for my story! Soo Yeah! I apologise in advance if you're disappointed with that.

Anyways! Let's get on with the story!

Oops Sorry! I noticed took away my scene breaks and while trying to fix it I uploaded this as a new chapter instead of a chapter replacement **_blush_**

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With a barely audible thump, Haley let her body fall heavily against her childhood bed, groaning and burying her head in the pillow when the unwanted image of her brother and best friend pre-coital jumped into her head. Sure Brooke had changed the sheets, even flipped the mattress, but that one was never going away.

After a night of tossing, turning, and envisioning her bedroom ceiling falling down on top of her thanks to the thump thump thumping coming from the party upstairs, she'd scrawled Brooke a note saying she was going to visit her parents, and she'd be un-contactable for a couple of days. The sun had barely risen when she'd turned up at her parent's door, the house was quiet and still, a complete contrast to the hustle, bustle and comings and goings of the last weekend she was there. The weekend she'd celebrated her parent's homecoming, dodged questions about her relationship with Jake, and discovered Quinn's boyfriend was a complete pervert, cementing her ideals that all men were horny toads who couldn't keep it in their pants. Oh, and of course, it was the weekend she'd met Nathan.

Her lips still tingled from the kiss that happened hours before, and every time she closed her eyes she could feel his breath on her face, the warm, somersaulting feeling in her stomach as his eyes bore into her. But they weren't the only eyes she felt and saw. Jake's brown orbs were just as ingrained into her sleep deprived brain. He'd been so much to her for so long that seeing him so much a part of something else had thrown her. Her head banged, it was starting all over again, the voices in her head screaming JAKE NATHAN JAKE NATHAN JAKE NATHAN. She felt like she was in the middle of a love triangle except there was only one of them she actually wanted to be with. Jake's ghost lingered though, and last night had proven that. She'd been having fun in the bar, it had been light, it had been breezy, and she'd even admitted once or twice that she liked the feel of Nathan's arm slung behind her, or the way she'd caught him looking at her while someone else was talking, but then in the same way he did when she'd been trying to convince herself how inappropriate it would be take things with Nathan any further than a flirty friendship in dead of night when she let herself entertain the possibility, there Jake was. Only this time it wasn't a memory, he was really there. It had hurt so much to see him as part of another couple. She'd known of course they were serious, they were living together after all, but to actually see another woman in his arms had hurt. Then Nathan was kissing her, and the pain was gone. You could have asked who Jake was and she would have queried if you meant that leather jacket wearing one of the 'California Dreams' before she thought of Jagielski, but then she'd pulled away, and he wasn't kissing her, and the voices were back. JAKE NATHAN JAKE NATHAN JAKE NATHAN.

"Bub?" Her bedroom door creaked open a little, and her dad's sleep dishevelled head came into view.

"Hi Dad, did I wake you?" She asked regretfully, getting up from the bed and slipping into the hallway and her father's arms. She'd tried best to be quiet but her thoughts were so loud she could have sounded like a heard of baby elephants.

"Nope, I heard someone come in but I thought it was just Taylor coming home. Don't sleep much in my old age."

"Don't talk like that, you're not old." Haley reprimanded. She really hated when he spoke like that, even though she knew he was only joking. As the youngest of so many her parents had always been slightly older than that of her friends and she'd never quite gotten past the teasing one particularly nasty kid had given that that meant they'd die before everyone else's too. Slipping onto one of the high stools around the kitchen island once they'd made their way downstairs, she watched him pour them both cups of coffee. It was such a familiar moment. Back in high school when Haley had waited tables before school, and Jimmy had still worked full time they'd both be up long before anyone else who happened to be home and had developed a morning routine that fit them both. Coffee, a shared newspaper, and then Jimmy would drop Haley off on his way into work. He'd worked so hard over the years that Haley had been grateful for that hour or so in the morning that she got to spend with him, he'd always known exactly what to say to set her up for the day.

"So what are you doing here kid?" He asked, taking the sections he wanted from the paper and passing her the rest.

"What? I can't visit?"

"Of course you can. It's just not like you to show up in the middle of the night without notice. Some of your brothers and sisters sure, but not you."

Shrugging Haley picked up a pen and started filling out a Sudoku puzzle. "I didn't come in the middle of the night, I waited 'til morning."

Letting out a grumbling laugh Jimmy shook his head, "Logic, a good defence, but also often a downfall."

Startled Haley looked up and across her father who was once again engrossed in what he was reading. Logic definitely was her downfall. Head over heart. Time and time again. Biting her lip she tried not think of what it meant to admit that her head might have been doing all the ruling of late. "Did you say Taylor's here?"

"Yep, my little rolling stone has decided to settle with her old Ma and Pa for a while. She gets those itchy feet from me, and now my itch is scratched she's thinking maybe hers is too."

"Your itch is scratched?" Haley screwed her face up, puckering her lips in disgust. She really didn't want to think about her dad scratching his feet, especially at breakfast time. "Is she here now?"

"I imagine so, although I'd be less surprised to find she up and left in the night than I was that you were here this morning."

"Jeez Dad," She joked, standing up and replenishing her coffee. She was going to need alot of caffeine to get through today. "You keep going on about it and I'm going to start thinking you're not happy to see me."

"Oh Haley Bob, of course I'm happy to see you." He winked as he stood up himself, squeezing her shoulders and making his way to my fridge. "You're my favourite you know that."

"You do know we all knew you said that to all of us when the others were out of the room."

"Well, you're all my favourites, I just like whoever I'm with at the time a little bit more."

"Whatever Daddy." She laughed, and smiled climbed back to her seat, watching him pull various ingredients and place them on the side. "Can you make pancakes?"

"For you my baby. Anything."

"Smiley face ones?" She grinned easily. Okay so maybe she'd come home to think, to get away from all distractions and try and work out what was going on in her head, but how often did she get to be distracted by the only perfect man she'd ever known.

"Anything." He answered, exactly as she knew he would, and she eagerly moved over to help.

"Jimmy did you... Oh Haley! You're here."

"Hi Mom." Sending her dad an apologetic look at abandoning her position of sous chef when she'd only she began she walked over and let herself be enveloped in her mom's arms.

"Oh baby girl what's wrong?"

"Wrong?" Haley blinked, startled. Her mom had come downstairs, still her in nightgown so obviously just woken, taken one look at Haley and known something was wrong? Maybe she'd become too good at fooling herself because actually in that moment she hadn't thought anything was wrong.

"Don't play coy with me. You've not been yourself when we talk on the phone and you turn up unannounced. You are not my impulsive child honeybee, so c'mon. What's wrong? Tell Momma all about it."

"Oh Lydia, leave the girl be, she just got here."

"She came here for a reason Jimmy, and I won't have her upset any longer than necessary."

"Mom, I'm fine, really."

"Hmmm." Looking unconvinced Lydia caught her husband's eyes over her petite daughters head, and nodded in agreement at his look of 'give her time'. He'd known as well as Lydia that something must be on Haley's mind but he knew his little girl well enough to know that an ambush wasn't going to work. He'd succeeded in making her smile, and that was more than enough for him.

"Haley c'mon, open the door!" Nathan shouted, banging his fist heavily against the wood. He'd had enough. When she'd left the bar he'd stayed for a couple more swiftly drank drinks before barking at an undeserving Tim and calling a cab. He'd barely slept a wink last night, and when he did he dreamt of her. Not that that was anything new, he'd been dreaming of her since he'd met her, but this time it had been different, they were more real, more intense because now he knew what her lips felt like, what her mouth tasted like, what it felt like to have her body against his even if it was through their clothes. That wasn't the only difference, unlike before when he made his advances she reeled him in and then pushed him away. Sometimes with the same confused, deer in a headlights look she'd given him in reality the night before, and sometimes with a cackling sadistic laugh he was sure she wasn't even capable of but still rang loudly in his ears. He was done playing games. He had to know once and for all if they had any chance. High school was a long time ago and he hadn't even played the love sick puppy then.

A door a couple of apartments down opened. "What? You got a problem? Mind your own fucking business!"

"Insulting my neighbours at 8 on a Saturday, Boss man. Hardly the way to win our sweet Haley's heart." Nathan nearly stumbled through the door when it opened. He'd been knocking for 15minutes now he'd almost given up hope anyone was going to let him in. Although he had started wondering about the windows. He'd pay for the damages of course, and get something a little less break in friendly installed, but he wasn't leaving here without having her hear him out, because he was leaving here with his final answer. Whatever it may be.

"I need to speak to Haley."

"Well Good morning to you too Nathan, yeah I'm doing well thanks, a bit early on a Saturday for me, but I suppose I can forgive a handsome man like you for waking me. No, no, you didn't have to bring coffee, we've got our own."

"Where's Haley?"

Quirking her eyebrow Brooke watched as Nathan stormed through the door, looking frantically around her apartment. Well of course she knew she was further down his radar than Haley was, she'd been pushing for those two to realise that for weeks now, but he'd never skipped the pleasantries before. A small piece of paper on the table next to her caught her eye, scanning it quickly her brow furrowed, wondering what had happened the night before that caused Haley to flee, and Nathan to turn up at their apartment in practically the wee hours demanding to see her roommate. "She's not here."

"What do you mean she's not here?"

"I mean she's not here." Holding up the piece of paper Brooke walked over to the couch and beckoned Nathan to follow. "Says here she's gone to visit the parentals and she'll be back on Monday."

"Tree Hill?" Nathan faltered. Okay so he'd come over here insisting to himself that this was it, his last ditched effort to get her to admit there was something between them, but was he really going to follow her to Tree Hill to do that? They'd kissed once, a kiss that had practically made her cry, and sure he liked her, liked her alot, but he had his pride. Across town was one thing. Across state was another. "Why?"

"I know as much as you." Eyeing him again Brooke reassessed with a frown. Something had obviously happened, and instead of waking her up to talk about it, Haley had bolted. "Less probably."

"Time to think? What does she mean she needs time to think? Aren't you girls into talking things out, sharing over manipedi's and all that? Why'd she have to leave?"

For a second she'd been broken from her wonderings of why Haley hadn't confided in her to snigger at Nathan's use of the phrase 'manipedi' before the hurt washed over her again. "I don't know why she didn't talk to me instead of going to her parents ok? I found the note just now when you woke me up with all your noise. Why are you so desperate to see her anyway? I'm sure whatever work emergency there is calling her cell phone would be good enough."

"It's off, or dead, I don't know. All I know is it keeps going to voicemail and I..." Putting his head in his hands Nathan sighed. He was done. He was done feeling confused, and led on, obviously Haley didn't want anything more than a friendship from him. They'd kissed and not only did she leave town, but made herself unreachable whilst she did it. He'd tried the subtle approach and she'd ignored it, so he told her exactly how he felt, kissed her, and she ran away. He didn't need this. "I'm done."

"What do you mean you're done?" Brooke asked, curling her legs up underneath her and bringing her finger up to her both, gnawing on what had previously been a perfectly manicured nail, she knew that defeatist tone, she just hoped she was wrong in thinking it meant Haley.

"When you speak to Haley just tell her its cool, ok. Tell her I get it and I'll see her on Monday, business as usual." He stood up and shook his head, a sadness waving over him. He'd honestly thought they had something, or at least the chance at it.

"Nathan, wait!" The tall man looked over from where his head was laying on the door handle, and took in the pleading look in the brunette's eyes. "Did something happen?"

"We saw Jake. I kissed her. She ran." He summarise, shrugging, his features stony compared to how alive they'd been when she'd let him in.

"You saw Jake?"

"Yup, his girlfriend too." He smirked, "She's not half as beautiful as Haley."

He called her beautiful, Brooke swooned inside. Not hot, or pretty, or cute. Beautiful. "And you kissed her? Or she kissed you?"

"Me, her, both." He realised the irony almost right as he said it. Here he was the one doing the sharing thing with Brooke.

"Whoa, I can't believe she didn't tell me.."

"Yeah, well." Reaching for the handle he stopped as Brooke called his name.

"Just sit back down okay? Hear me out. I'll never forgive myself if you walk out of here thinking there's no chance with Haley. Just let me explain."

"You shouldn't be the one explaining Brooke. We're both adults. If she likes me she shouldn't be playing these games, and if she doesn't? Well, that's fine, but I'm done letting her run all hot and cold on me. I can't risk it." There was too much at stake, his job, his father's trust.

"I know, but Haley's not here, and well, I kind of think it's my fault anyway."

"Go on..."

"Look, when I met Haley she was really intimidating to me. She still doesn't believe she was, but she's just modest that way. I was on my way to flunking out of college, my parents had all but cut me off because I'd screwed up so much the first year, and I ended up sharing a room with this girl who's so smart, and eager, and pretty even if she did have terrible dress sense. So what do I? Befriend her, take her under my wing as the knowledgeable sophomore? No, I was a complete bitch."

Nathan looked surprised. They were so close, he hadn't been expecting that.

"She didn't seem to care. She'd laugh at what I thought was a scathing insult, and generally throw back something that was alot more to the point, alot more true, and on occasion alot more hurtful. I know, Haley, hurtful? But she can be a bitch when she wants to be I promise, and as wonderful as she is she has her limits." Just like he did, Nathan thought, but listening to Brooke talk about Haley with such affection made him wonder if maybe he hadn't quite reached his yet.

"One night she comes in and I'm crying on my bed, I expected her to walk past me, or make a comment, like I had when I found her looking through a photo album tearfully the week before, but she just walked past me, sat on her bed, and then quietly asked I was okay. I of course denied anything was wrong but we both know she's not stupid. I had a test I couldn't fail, if I screwed up again my parents were cutting me off completely. I wouldn't just have to worry about a credit card limit and a poorly decorated dorm a few months a year, I'd be disowned completely. There was a lot I could get away while still carrying the Davis name, but failing out of college wasn't going to be one of them, and I broke down and told her that, and she looked at me, with no pity, or judgement, just nodded her head, walked over, and looked down at my book. Said it didn't look much different to the College prep class she'd taken in High school and she'd be willing to help. She was the first person who just helped me because they could. I didn't deserve it, but that's just Haley. If she can help you she will."

"That's a really great story Brooke, and it does sound like Haley, but why does that make what's going on between us your fault?"

"I'm getting there." Taking a deep breath Brooke swiped at the tears in her eyes. "The more I got to know Haley the more I found out how great she was. She's not just book smart, but people smart too. She's so observant, and caring, and almost too selfless at times. I'm making her sound like a saint and she'd hate that too, but that's the beauty of Haley. She's not perfect, she's got just enough flaws to make her not be too much to be around, to make her real. I'd known Jake for a while, we met properly Freshman year but we kinda knew each other before then, and from the first time I introduced them I knew they'd be perfect for each other, and they were, for a while. They were this fairytale love story that I was so proud to be a part of, and then, they weren't. I guess it started our senior year, so Haley's junior. She was spending more and more time back at our apartment, instead of the one she unofficially shared with Jake, and she didn't seem quite as happy as she did before. I thought it was because things weren't right with Jake and vowed to get things back on track for them. The way I saw it if Haley and Jake couldn't make it no one could. They were just perfect for each other. So in love, and they'd make such beautiful babies."

"Yeah I get it." Nathan grumbled.

"Don't you see? That's my point. I thought they were perfect. I thought they'd make such beautiful babies. I still don't know what Haley thought. I know she loved him, at some point at least, but every time she said that maybe things would be better if they were apart I'd beg her not to break up with him. They were my notebook couple."

"Your what?"

"The couple I looked up to, that gave me faith that love was real. I was so fixated on my matchmaking being a forever kinda thing that I forget to stop and ask Haley if she thought if it was for forever. I feel like it was my fault, everything that happened. Jake cheating on her, Haley leaving, all that heartbreak."

"You don't control his dick."

Brooke laughed. "No, I don't, but I think for a while there I controlled Haley. I'm not proud of it, and I haven't wanted to admit it even to myself, as strong as she, she's vulnerable too, especially when things aren't going the way she wants them too, and I knew that, I knew that if I told her breaking up with him was a bad idea, when she was down and confused she wouldn't do it, and Jake, for all his faults, he loved her. He couldn't understand why he'd cheat on someone like Haley as much as I couldn't."

"Wait so you knew?"

Looking down at her the floor Brooke sucked on her lower lip. "No, I'd never be able to keep something like that from Haley, and Jake wouldn't be alive if I'd found out first hand without Haley to calm me down, I promise you. This is from a more recent conversation."

"I'm telling you all this because I want you to understand that Haley's just gun shy. She's been hurt, and not just by Jake. She might not even realise it herself, but she knows she was hurt by me too. Convincing her, putting her relationship on a pedestal. I made her think those smart voices, in that big ole brain of hers were wrong. That things were going to work out. That those kids, and dog, and white picket fence we'd giggled about when they first got together were really in her future. I think she fell out of love with Jake a long time ago but she, or I, didn't let her admit it, so now that she's falling for someone again she's scared. She's not used to, and she hates, not being in control but she does like you Nathan. I know it, and she's worth waiting just that little bit longer, pushing just that little bit harder. I know it seems like a lot of hard work but she's worth it Nathan. She's amazing, you think you like her now, just wait until she lets you in properly, just give her til Monday ok? Talk to her face to face, don't give up quite yet. For both our sakes. I think you'll be so good for her and I'll never forgive myself if the two of you didn't get your shot."

Nodding Nathan turned again to leave.

"Nathan.."

"I'll speak to her on Monday, but Brooke, maybe you need to think about what you just said.."

"Let up on myself a bit?" Brooke guessed, but Nathan looked back shaking his head.

"Stop making Haley's pain all about you..."

Open mouthed Brooke slumped back against the seat as the door closed behind him. Urg, what did he know, that so wasn't what she was doing, but it didn't matter. He was giving Haley another chance. Now, she knew she had the number for the new house somewhere...

"So big change, or little change?" Taylor ran her fingers through her sister's hair, her kit laid on the kitchen counter before her. She'd been a trained hairdresser for years but Haley hadn't let her near her hair since they were kids and she'd knotted it so badly Lydia had had to cut a good 7 or 8 inches off.

"I don't know." Haley shrugged, the large stained sweatshirt that had once belonged to one of her brothers billowed around her with the movement. It had been easy to distract herself at breakfast, even with it just being the three, well four of them once Taylor had eventually woken, it was as hustley and bustley as any James meal was. After breakfast however had been a different matter. She and Taylor had washed dishes while their parents went out back to discuss some planting they were planning to do that day and through the window Haley had watched how her dad's hands always found their way to somewhere on her mom's body, and how Lydia's smile widened ever so slightly when her gaze moved from the garden to Jimmy. She couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever have that, that little annoying voice pointing out that she never would if she kept pushing away men who made the butterflies in her stomach fly.

"Well, you need to make a decision or I'm giving you a bowl cut." Taylor joked, or at least Haley hoped they were joking. Growing up their mom, and eldest sister had been responsible for the kids hair, sending eight kids to the salon just wasn't going to happen, so blunt heavy cuts that did nothing for her hard to tame curls haunted Haley through all her childhood pictures. A fact Taylor with her easy to manage naturally straight hair loved to point out.

"Maybe just a trim.."

"Ah, Hay, c'mon. You never let me do your hair I want to do something good to it."

"A trim is good, a trim is safe."

"What's so fun about safe?" Ha, she had a point.

"Why don't you go back to blonde." Lydia voiced from where she was stood prepping for a family dinner. So glad to have her home filled with her babies once again. Well, now that she had a home that wasn't on wheels two didn't exactly fill it, but they were enough. "I always hated that you died your hair, oh and the way you used to attack those beautiful curls with a straightening iron in high school nearly killed me."

"Yeah, why don't you?" Taylor rubbed her hands gleefully, eager to prove that despite being the black sheep of the family there were actually some things she was good at that could be discussed in polite company. "Your roots are coming through anyway and they look kinda grey."

"I am not going grey!" Haley jumped up with indignation, protectively shielding her roots.

Standing on her tip toes to look at the mirror that backed up Lydia's spice rack Haley pulled at strands of hair to get a better look. If that man had turned her grey she was never kissing him again. Unless, squashing down the urge to kiss him 40 plus hours a week was what was causing the grey...

"Sit back down, freak! I didn't say you were going grey, I said your mousy brown roots look grey."

"My hair is not mousy brown!" Haley pouted but did as asked, sitting down again in front of Taylor.

"Mousy brown or Grey, take your pick lil sis."

"If your roots look grey that's all the more reason to go back to your natural colour." Lydia piped up and Haley rolled her eyes.

"Thanks mother, now you're saying they look grey too."

"I'm not saying that at all Haley, but can I just point out that the top of your head isn't all that hard to see for most."

Letting out a tortured sob Haley's head hit the wooden table in front of her. Why had she thought coming home would be warm and comforting again?

"Besides, you're free and single now, and the fella's they do like the blondes. Especially when the drapes match the carpet."

"MOM!" Taylor let out a howling laugh while Haley's head snapped up, staring at her mother's face aghast, before turning to her sister. "Can we make me blonde again in one go?"

"Well, your hair won't exactly thank you for it but I think I have everything we need. You wouldn't be the first I'd done it for."

Breathing in deeply Haley nodded. Maybe going back to her natural hair roots was a good idea. Maybe she could go back to being the independent, self assured girl she'd once been too. One who could make a decision and stick to it. One who would occasionally let herself follow her heart.

"So are you going to tell me why you didn't want to speak to Brooke earlier?" Taylor asked as she started bottle out various bottles of dye.

"I just need a break." It was almost the truth, she had come to Tree Hill for a break. She knew if she'd waited until Brooke had woken up she'd of let it slip about the kiss, and Brooke would of squealed and spouted I told you so's and wanted to know what was going to happen next when Haley wasn't even sure herself. Then, of course, there was the matter of Nathan and Brooke. She still wasn't completely convinced there wasn't something there. Okay, so Nathan had kissed her, doted on her most of the evening, and even pretended to be her boyfriend in an act of misplaced chivalry, but they were each other's types. Rich, attractive, somewhat promiscuous. At least if she believed all the gossip on Nathan's part of that equation.

"Yeah, living with friends can be rough," Taylor agreed, "I've just never seen you not take her calls before."

"I'm going to go down the shop to get some last minute things for dinner, anything special you girls want?" Lydia interrupted, covering up what was already prepared, and slipping outside to say goodbye to her husband when they both disagreed.

"They're so in love." Haley spoke up after a couple of minutes of Taylor silently brushing dye on to her hair.

"Tell me about it." There seemed to be a bit of disgruntlement in Taylor's voice which had Haley confused. She personally always thought she sounded more, well, swoony, when talking about their parents' marriage.

"Don't you want that?" The eagerness in Haley's voice took them both back to a time when the younger sister had doted on her elder one, always wanting to know Taylor's opinion before she formed them for herself, wanting to know her ideas were justified by having them match. For a moment she wondered if maybe she wanted Brooke to be attracted to Nathan so Haley knew it was the right way to feel, she didn't really know how to be single. Sure she'd never had any serious relationships in high school but she'd been so focussed on her grades, and making enough money to go to a good school that it had never really bothered her, most of her friends had been single also. Was that what it came down to? She was so out of practice she was insecure in judging what she was feeling. Who was the right person to feel something for? Then again, Brooke had pretty much selected Jake for Haley and look how that turned out.

"I guess. It'd be nice, but not many people have those relationships where the butterflies last out of the first couple of months, Hay, sometimes I think they just set us up to fall."

Sensing the sadness in her sister's voice Haley's mind turned over trying to think of something to say. "Have you even had a relationship that lasted over a couple of months?"

She was teasing, and they both laughed, despite the fact that Taylor's word laid heavy in the air over both of them. Did it count if the butterflies were still there after a couple of months when you weren't actually a couple? Haley wanted to ask but didn't know how. Despite all her protests that Nathan didn't like her that way Haley wasn't stupid. She might not be the most practiced when it came to boys, and their advances, but she was a grown woman, she knew she was being pursued, deep down no matter much she tried to prove to herself it wasn't happening. She knew Nathan was pursuing her, even before the kiss. From day one he'd nudged at her first with his flirty words, and thoughtful actions that screamed attraction, and it hadn't taken her long to get the feeling it was for more than just sport, but she was just the type of girl who dismissed this womanly institution, made excuses for why a man's gaze lingered a little too long on her lips, or his head tilted with interest when she was talking about something that they probably didn't, but were interested to hear her speak about it none of the less, to justify the amused smile as a placating one. It had been easy at first, , that screaming voice that he was her boss, combined with the embarrassment that he knew some of her deepest and darkest had pushed down any niggling that there might be something there. His playboy reputation that had swept quickly through the office rumour mill, even before he worked there, had made it easy to justify that it was just his way, the only way he knew how to relate to a woman. He was different with her though, she knew that, looking back there was no way she could deny it. The full bellied laugh he'd given when she stumbled into his office, dropped whatever she was carrying, which only deepened when she glared at his offered hand to pull her up, was completely different to the reserved chuckle he used while on the phone doing business, or talking in the hallway with a colleague, and full toothy smile he gave her was so different to the almost smirk he used for everyone else. Last night's kiss made all those things impossible to ignore, forcing her to admit he liked her more than as a friend or a co-worker. Not to mention, of course, the fact that he'd told her as much.

"Tay?"

"Hmm,"

"You've been with people you shouldn't have, right?"

"What like the guy who gave me Chlamydia."

"You've had Chlamydia?" If she hadn't been scared she end up with bleach on her face Haley would have turned to look at her sister in shock.

"In high school. He told me he loved me and we didn't need to use anything cause I was on the pill, turned out he told Janice Montgomery the same thing. I'm telling you Hay, if you thought I was a slut you should have seen this girls hit list."

"I never thought you were slut." Her lip was wedged firmly between her teeth, she kind of had thought Taylor was a slut, and had told her so on more than one occasion.

"Eh, I kinda was."

"Why did you never tell me?"

"I was 16 Hales, you were 12, you'd of probably thought it was a flower or something."

"No, I knew. Mom gave me the same time talk gave all you."

"Right, of course she did." They both laughed, the James' might have had their unconventional ways but they'd raised some pretty great kids at the end of it all. "Anyway, point is I was 16, and stupid, and I've had alot of sex since and made sure it's never happened again."

"Alot of sex huh?" The soon to be blonde again thought of her own sexual history. No STD's, but no orgasms either. She was pretty sure Taylor had had an orgasm. Hell, who was she kidding, she'd heard Taylor having orgasms. Her sexuality was something her sister had never been afraid of.

"By some people's standards. Hey, Haley.." Taylor's voice was thick with sisterly concerned, the kind that had been known to make a lump form in Haley's throat.

"Yea?"

"You got tested right? After you found out Jake..."

"Slept with someone else? Yeah," She remembered how humiliating it had been to ask the doctor she'd been insisting the STD checks weren't needed to at the women's clinic for years to give her the full works. "Made him get tested before I'd sleep with him in college too."

"Yeah, of course you did, you were always smarter than me." There was no animosity to her voice like there might have been at one point in their lives. Taylor was proud of Haley's intelligence, she'd grown past the jealousy. "What do you mean then?"

"I guess I mean more, society wise." Getting a sharp tap on her shoulder when she shifted a little too far, trying to think how best to explain her predicament without giving too much away. "Someone maybe you shouldn't have been with because of what other people might think?"

"What other people might think? I say screw 'em Hales. If you want to be with someone be with them.." Taylor paused for a second, focusing on what she was doing before stopping short. "Oh my god, is it Brooke?"

"What?" Haley's brow furrowed in confusion. Sure she'd been thinking of a certain blue eyed man since she'd broached the subject. Well really she hadn't stopped thinking about, but she was sure she wasn't so distracted she'd miss the conversation taking a turn.

"Ignoring her calls, a relationship society doesn't want you to have.." Suddenly it clicked and Haley turned to give her sister a look of disbelief.

"Oh my god, Taylor, no I am not talking about Brooke. Do you really think I'd come out to you while you're mid way through dying my hair! You just got done saying I was the smart one."

"Alright, Alright, don't get your panties in a bunch." She took Haley's shoulders and forced her to turn back around. "I say do them whoever they are. You're wound so tight you need a good lay..."

"Taylor..."

"Sorry." There was a long silence before the eldest girl spoke up again. "Okay. Before I dropped out of college I was having an affair with one of my professors."

"What?"

"I never told you because I knew you'd look at me like that, and before you say anything I know exactly what face you're pulling, but before you judge there's obviously a reason you're asking me this question." She had a point, but Nathan was just her boss, he wasn't anyone's husband.

"I didn't mean for it to happen, and honestly, he's the closest thing I've ever experienced to those butterflies we were talking about earlier."

"So you don't regret it?" Her voice was timid, not sure what answer she wanted Taylor to give. If she spoke regretfully about this professor it could very well be enough for Haley to give up on the idea of something with Nathan, but did she really want that?

"No, if nothing else he taught me how to love myself. You know I watched you flourish when you and Jake first got together, you were so happy, and confident, and it seemed like you'd finally embraced what everyone else knew you were, but then toward the end, I saw it coming. You wilted, you changed, you'd overreact to things I'd teased you about for years. If you've got a chance with someone who's going to make you shine again, Hales, treat you with all the love and respect you deserve I say screw society. You deserve that, and if the butterflies stick around you'll be one of the lucky ones. If it's going to happen to any of us, it's going to be you."

Walking through the door to her home Haley let the bag on her shoulder hit the floor with a thump, relieved to see Brooke's jacket of the moment was not hanging by the door. When she'd finally taken one of her room mates persistent calls late Sunday evening the brunette had said she had a meeting late Monday morning and Haley had tried to time leaving her parents to correspond with Brooke's meeting so she wouldn't have to deal with seeing her right away. Brooke had let it slip that she knew about the kiss, and wanted to talk all about it, sounding a little offended and muttering something about his attitude problem when Haley had instead asked her to promise she didn't want Nathan.

Although a family movie and board game night had distracted her from it the night before, Sunday had been spent lying on her bed thinking about all those things she'd come to Tree Hill to think about. Taylor's words had lingered heavily, about her experience with her professor, she'd asked her a little more about it, but had felt bad knowing she wasn't going to reciprocate if her sister had asked, and also because of the look Taylor got on her face. This shy smile, and far off look in her eye. She definitely had been lying when she told Haley she didn't regret it. She said he'd eventually turned out to be a bit of a dick, but he'd had a big part in making her a better person, something she'd always be grateful for.

She was startled from her thoughts by a banging on the front door that she'd yet to move away from. Slipping out of the jacket that still adorned her shoulders she pushed the bag that lay by her feet out of the way and opened the door.

"Nathan." She hadn't been expecting to see him today. Hell she'd planned so she wouldn't have to see him today.

"You're blonde." He blurted out, it wasn't the opening line he'd practiced but it was the first thing that came to mind.

"Huh?"

"Your hair, it wasn't blonde?" He seemed so confused and she probably would have laughed if she hadn't felt like she was about to throw up with nerves. Instead she grabbed at a stray stand, pulling it in front of her face, almost as if she was verifying his assessment. She felt like an idiot.

"Bevin said you were sick." He smiled nervously. He'd spent most of the weekend practicing what he was going to say to her when he saw her, all of which seemed to escape him now. He'd been determined when he drove to the office that by the end of the day he knew where he stood with Haley James, whether he liked the outcome or not.

"Um, yeah.." In a fit of indecisive nerves she'd decided against driving home when she'd gotten off the phone with Brooke, instead calling Bevin and saying she wouldn't be coming in the next day and to cover for her. She'd made her decision, but she wasn't above putting off confronting that decision for as long as possible. Turned out that had backfired. Remembering herself she gave a weak pathetic fake cough.

Nathan laughed. That real, full bellied laugh that made those flutters start up again. "I know you're not sick Haley."

"Oh.." She didn't know what to say. He was her boss after all, was he here to drag her back to the office...

"I'm not here to drag you to the office." Damn. Could he read her mind? If so really regretted that thinking how good he looked in that blue pinstripe shirt when she opened the door. "I'm here to talk."

"Talk. Right," She wanted to talk, she reminded herself, she'd planned this talk.

"About us."

"Us, right." That had been her intention too, to talk about them, but right now she couldn't remember what she wanted to say.

"Are you going to let me in?" He asked, the woman he'd told mind her own business just days before was glaring at him through her twitched curtain.

"In, right."

"Haley!" He let out an exasperated groan and she grinned.

"I'm kidding, come in.." Stepping aside she gave him a shy smile as he walked inside, and he hoped he could take her joking as a positive sign.

"I um, came looking for you." He told her as she shut the door and they made their way to the cough he'd sat on two days prior after he'd stormed into her apartment hot headed and ready for a show down. "On Saturday."

"I, um was in Tree Hill." Avoiding him. Never leaving her parents house in case he happened to be visiting his parents too.

"Yeah, Brooke told me."

"She told me you told her about the um, how we, uh.."

"Kissed?" He asked amused, wondering how it was possibility for a woman who caused him some of the naughtiest thoughts he'd ever had, including those about the French teacher with the massive breasts in high school, to get so flustered about the word kiss.

"Yes," She nodded, chastising herself for being so embarrassed. She'd prepared for this conversation, and god knows she'd talk to him about more intimate things than a kiss. Although that kiss had been more heated and intimate than most times she'd had sex.

"Look, Haley. I can't do this anymore," He cut to the chase. All he'd been able to do since they sat down was stare at her lips, desperate to kiss her again.

"Oh." The butterflies in her stomach were replaced by her heart. She'd spent the weekend turning everything over in her head, deciding that she wanted this, at least the chance of this, and he'd apparently spent the weekend thinking that he didn't.

He watched her face fall, and a pain shot through his heart. "I can't do these games anymore."

"I'm not trying to play games." She looked down at her hands, twisting them in her lap, not wanting to see his eyes. "At least I don't mean to."

"Yeah, Brooke kind of explained that to me."

"You spoke to Brooke?" She sounded hurt, even though she didn't meant to. Although she'd finally convinced herself there was nothing going on between the two of them, the idea that they'd been sat around discussing her and Nathan's relationship before there was one, before Haley even knew if she'd really wanted one, was hitting a still slightly raw nerve.

"Well, you weren't here." He hadn't meant to say it harshly, but he'd thought he was done with feeling so confused on Friday only to have another weekend of conflicted thoughts about the woman in front of him, he was sleep deprived, confused, and in all honesty, a little bit sexually frustrated.

"I know," He was right, it wasn't like they'd planned for it. He'd turned up looking for her and she was gone, although that didn't mean she wasn't wondering what had been said. "I'm sorry, I just needed to think."

"About me?" He cursed at himself for how eager he sounded.

"You, other stuff... lots of stuff."

"Right." He nodded, and they both looked at each other before quickly turning away. How had a conversation they'd done nothing but obsess over end up being so awkward?

"Nathan," Haley took a deep breath, and turned to look at the man beside her. "I'm sorry if you feel like I've been playing games, I haven't meant to. I've just been so confused. On Friday when you said to me you couldn't have been imagining the flirting, the tension, you weren't wrong. I felt it too, I wanted to kiss you too."

"But.." He prodded, practically seeing the word fall off her lips before she said it. The lips he once again couldn't stop looking at.

"But I'm in a really confusing place right now." She hadn't planned for this to sound so negative, the words in her head just weren't coming out the way she'd planned. This was why it was so hard, he made her a flustered mess, rather than the put together person she was used to being. "It's not that I don't like you, I do."

"But.." It was there again.

"But I don't really know how to deal with that. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you, even when I've been trying to think about other things I keep coming back to you, I've never felt like this before, it scares me," She took another deep breath, finding his eyes that seemed to keep travelling away from her gaze. She wasn't sure what that meant. "In a good way. It scares me in a good way. You make me feel alive."

"But.."

"Would you stop with the buts? I'm trying to tell you I like you, that I want to try this thing. You and me."

"But..."

"Nathan!" She gave him a frustrated look, beginning to wonder if this was all just his way of avoiding saying that it had all been a mistake, he didn't like her back.

"There's not a but?" He asked cautiously.

"No," She shook her head, unsure if she should smile, because that was a good thing, or be worried about what was coming next.

"Really?" Hesitant hope shone through in his voice.

"Yes," She laughed, watching him carefully.

"I thought this was it. I was all prepared to shake your hand and walk away." He shook his head in disbelief, and watched a confused look fall over her features.

"Shake my hand?"

"Professional." He answered, he'd planned to tell her that he understood, that her job was still safe, beg her not to say anything to HR about the kiss, and shake her hand. "Strictly business."

"Right." Business. The factor she'd fought so hard to get past, the one she wasn't really over yet. The one her head was screaming at her heart about that for the time being she seemed to be able to shut down, or at least have her heart shout louder.

"Haley I know you're worried about work, and I know you've been through alot with your ex and everything, but ever since the first night I met you I've not been able to stop thinking about you. At first you just intrigued me, but then when I got to know you. You're amazing."

She blushed, her eyes once again fixated on her lap, and he reached out and cupped her chin turning it up so she was looking at him.

"You are,"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He laughed at her polite response. Sliding closer to her on the sofa and leaning in, softly, tentatively placing his lips against hers. Relaxing for the first time in days when hers puckered in return. "You're so beautiful."

She blushed, and started to pull away, but he moved his arm around her pulling her close toward him instead of letting her put any more distance there.

"I like your hair." He picked a strand of the golden curls up and ran his finger through it. He'd been dreaming of running his fingers through her hair. Albeit in a less delicate, and more throes of passion kind of way.

"Yea?" She giggled, oh god she was giggling, she was really gone. "I hoped you would."

"I do." Their faces moved closer together, their eyes dancing around the others face, the atmosphere so different from their first kiss, but yet just as heated.

"I'm glad." She whispered, her tongue licking both their lips as she spoke, and before either had a chance to think they were kissing. Not the frantic desperate, scared to let it end kiss of last week, but a comfortable, this is going to happen again, but I still can't get enough of you kiss that ended up Haley laying down with Nathan perched carefully on top of her.

Neither was sure how long they kissed, feeling like they were back in high school as they stretched out on the plush seating, hands exploring but not quite sure of their boundaries, before Haley eventually spoke up, frustrated.

"You know, I'm sick."

"What?" Nathan asked confused, he hadn't just made out in a few years, he'd forgotten how foggy the lack of oxygen could make your brain.

"I'm sick remember." She mimicked the fake cough she'd given him earlier, rolling her eyes when he just looked baffled, but still the shyness crept in as she continued. "Being that I'm sick don't you think that I should you know, be in bed..."

"Oh." He climbed off of her, and her throat got dry.

"Do you not want to?" She asked, standing up also, a gap of a few feet seemed to have materialised between them.

"No, it's not that it's just.." Not want to? He needed to!

"Is it condoms? Because Brooke has a ton she won't even notice if we borrow a few."

He smirked. "A few?"

Her cheeks flushed, and she pulled at her top that was still bunch up somewhere near her breasts leaving her stomach exposed.

"It's not condoms, Hales, I have some."

"Oh really?" It was her turn to tease and he quickly backpedalled.

"Not that I came over here thinking we'd.. it's just that I've always.."

"I'm playing with you, Nathan. Now uh,, why don't you follow me to my bedroom so you can play with me." She gave out an audible groan of embarrassment. "Oh God forget I said that!"

"I'd rather not." He laughed, "Look Haley, it's not that I don't want to have sex with you. Trust me I do, but I know you haven't had the best of experiences."

That night was going to haunt her throughout this whole relationship wasn't it?

"I just don't want you to feel that you have to."

"I know I don't have to, I want to. Good sex isn't all about the orgasm, and we'd have really good sex, I know we would. Besides you'd come so.." She rambled on and he couldn't help but laugh again.

"Well I'd hope so, seen as you bragged about how good you were at sex the first night we met."

"Don't tease me, Nathan, c'mon, I'm practically begging you to sleep with me here."

"I know it's pretty sexy."

"Nathan.." She felt like stomping her feet like an exasperated toddler throwing a tantrum. She wanted sex, and wanted it now damn it!

"You'll come too." He said with cocky certainty, moving forward a bit into the seemingly monstrous physical divide between them.

"It's not important I just want to be with you."

"You'll come." He insisted.

"Look Nathan, it's just the way things are, it's fine, and I really, really want to have sex with you, if you're so concerned about this orgasm I'll go and see a doctor tomorrow but I want to have sex with you now!"

Doing exactly as she asked he stalked across the room sweeping her off her feet and into his strong arms.

"Wha-what are you doing?"

"I'm doing what you asked, I'm taking you to bed, and I'm going to prove you, Haley James, that there is nothing wrong you. By the time this day's up you will have had ten orgasms, never mind one."

"Ten?" Her eyes darkened with lust, for some reason she didn't doubt his words, not with the way her body was pulsing already.

"Ten, I promise, and I always keep my promise. So I think we'd better get started. I don't think your boss would b e too happy with you playing hookey two days in a row."

"Well, he's a bit unreliable, disappears in the middle of the day to go have sex with some chick and doesn't come back."

"Well his girlfriend is pretty hot so you can't blame him." He paused looking at the two doors in front of him waiting for direction which she gave with a point of her foot.

Girlfriend. The butterflies were going crazy.


End file.
